Hepatitis C News Update

Demographics Factor in Heavily for Patients With Advanced HCC “New research suggest various factors, including race, sex, and where they live, are risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A team, led by Xiaohan Ying, MD, NewYork Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical College, identified the impact of neighborhood characteristics on patients with viral hepatitis and cirrhosis, particularly for patients with advanced HCC.” Public Health investigating ‘cluster’ of reported hepatitis C cases at local pain clinic “The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health is working with Universal Pain Management on Kelly Johnson Parkway to notify a group of patients about a possible hepatitis C virus exposure. Public Health is notified any time someone tests positive for hepatitis C, Lance Jackson, CEO of the pain clinic, said in a phone interview Wednesday. He said the facility notified approximately 140 clients, sending them a letter that was drafted by Public Health, regarding the situation. The Department of Public Health issued a statement Wednesday that said everyone who came through UPM’s doors between July 7 and Aug. 5 should get tested.” County extends syringe exchange program for 2 years “ ANDERSON — With no opposition expressed, the needle exchange program in Madison County has been extended for two years. The Madison County Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to extend the program administered by Aspire Health Indiana until March 2, 2025.” Tennessee set to end HIV grant that funds Chattanooga nonprofit programs “Chattanooga nonprofit organizations that provide HIV services are scrambling to figure out how to keep those programs as Tennessee plans to forfeit millions in federal dollars used to support their work.” Federal Register Notice for Hepatitis C Testing Among Perinatally Exposed Infants and Children On November 22, 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published a Federal Register Notice (FRN) #CDC-2022-0116 to obtain comment on proposed perinatal hepatitis C testing recommendations. The recommendations supplement CDC’s 2020 universal hepatitis C screening recommendations by including testing recommendations for perinatally exposed infants and children. Testing exposed infants with a nucleic acid test (NAT) for HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) at age 2-6 months is expected to identify more perinatally exposed children and increase opportunities for linkage to care and curative treatment. The Federal Register Notice, docket number CDC-2022-0116, is open for public comment through January 27, 2023.