Exposure to hepatitis C virus in homeless men in Central Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Ferreira, Priscilla Martins; Guimarães, Rafael Alves; Souza, Christiane Moreira; Guimarães, Lara Cristina da Cunha; Barros, Cleiciane Vieira de Lima; Caetano, Karlla Antonieta Amorim; Rezza, Giovanni; Spadoni, Lila; Brunini, Sandra

doi:10.1186/s12889-016-3952-6

Cited by 9 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…In the absence of an approved prophylactic vaccine for hepatitis C, reducing exposure to HCV through prevention seems to be the best option. This can be achieved through routine screening of donated blood for HCV markers, providing safe medical procedures, promoting risk-reduction counseling and services for at risk population, increasing public awareness and offering regular HCV testing to high-risk populations with the goal of breaking the cycle of HCV transmission in the society[ 7 , 9 , 82 , 133 ]. Despite the so-called improvements in the management of HCV infection, still a long way is ahead to achieve a world free of HCV infection.…”

Section: Progresses In the Management Of Hcv Infectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global elimination of hepatitis C virus infection: Progresses and the remaining challenges

Taherkhani¹,

Farshadpour²

2017

WJH

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Today, with the introduction of interferon-free direct-acting antivirals and outstanding progresses in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, the elimination of HCV infection seems more achievable. A further challenge is continued transmission of HCV infection in high-risk population specially injecting drug users (IDUs) as the major reservoir of HCV infection. Considering the fact that most of these infections remain undiagnosed, unidentified HCV-infected IDUs are potential sources for the rapid spread of HCV in the community. The continuous increase in the number of IDUs along with the rising prevalence of HCV infection among young IDUs is harbinger of a forthcoming public health dilemma, presenting a serious challenge to control transmission of HCV infection. Even the changes in HCV genotype distribution attributed to injecting drug use confirm this issue. These circumstances create a strong demand for timely diagnosis and proper treatment of HCV-infected patients through risk-based screening to mitigate the risk of HCV transmission in the IDUs community and, consequently, in the society. Meanwhile, raising general awareness of HCV infection, diagnosis and treatment through public education should be the core activity of any harm reduction intervention, as the root cause of failure in control of HCV infection has been lack of awareness among young drug takers. In addition, effective prevention, comprehensive screening programs with a specific focus on high-risk population, accessibility to the new anti-HCV treatment regimens and public education should be considered as the top priorities of any health policy decision to eliminate HCV infection.

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Section: Progresses In the Management Of Hcv Infectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Global elimination of hepatitis C virus infection: Progresses and the remaining challenges

Taherkhani¹,

Farshadpour²

2017

WJH

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“…Multiple regression analysis, as well as the other studies, revealed an association between exposure to HBV and age increase [14, 20, 36, 40]. The displacement of the epidemiological curve of HBV in populations with higher age groups can be explained by the Brazilian policy of increasing the age for eligibility of hepatitis B vaccine over the years [34].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 95%

“…Subsequently, bivariate Poisson analysis was performed to verify the potential factors associated with HBV exposure. Variables that were included in the Poisson regression model were those with robust variance [14, 32, 33] with p -value < 0.20 in the bivariate analysis. The final modelling of factors associated with HBV infection was adjusted for age, sex, education, history of hepatitis in the family, injecting drug use, sexual intercourse under the influence of alcohol, the age at the time of sexual intercourse, STI history, and exposure to T. pallidum .…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lack of educational opportunities may limit the access to sexually transmitted infection (STI) prevention courses that are generally offered in schools. Furthermore, economic factors such as unemployment and poverty can promote risky behaviours such as inconsistent condom use and multiple sexual partnerships [14, 15], thus increasing an individual’s risk of acquiring an STI, such as hepatitis B [8].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Epidemiology of hepatitis B virus infection in people living in poverty in the central-west region of Brazil

et al. 2019

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Background People living in poverty (PLP) are highly vulnerable to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. This study aimed to investigate the epidemiology of HBV infection in PLP in the metropolitan region of Goiânia, Goiás State, in the Central-West Region of Brazil. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted from August to December 2016 in adults aged ≥12 years living in poverty. The following serological markers for HBV were investigated: hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), antibody to HBV core antigen (total anti-HBc), IgM anti-HBc, and hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs), which were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Poisson regression analysis with robust variance was performed to verify the factors associated with HBV exposure. Results The study included 378 participants. The overall prevalence rate of HBV (any viral marker) was 9.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 7.2–13.2). The prevalence rate of HBsAg in combination with total anti-HBc was 0.8% (95% CI, 0.3–2.4), total anti-HBc in combination with anti-HBs was 7.7% (95% CI, 5.4–10.9), and total anti-HBc alone was 1.3% (95% CI, 0.5–3.0) in the population. Furthermore, isolated positivity for anti-HBs was identified in only 25.4% (95% CI, 21.3–30.0) of the participants. Multiple regression analysis revealed that age (adjusted prevalence ratio [APR], 1.04; 95% CI, 1.01–1.07), female sex (APR, 2.18; 95% CI, 1.01–4.73), sexual intercourse under the influence of alcohol (APR, 2.49; 95% CI, 1.36–7.06), and exposure to Treponema pallidum (APR, 3.10; 95% CI, 1.36–7.06) were associated with HBV exposure. Conclusion There was a high prevalence of HBV exposure in PLP in the Central-West Region of Brazil, indicating significant viral spread of the infection. Additionally, there was low serological evidence of immunisation against hepatitis B, indicating that a large proportion of the participants in this study are susceptible to the infection. The results support the need for public health policies that facilitate access to the existing healthcare services in hard-to-reach groups with special regard to immunisation programmes against hepatitis B.

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“…In a study in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with 4,897 individuals tested for the presence of HCV, there were 1,180 HCV RNA-positive cases, and a significant association between RNA positivity and drug use but not with tattoos and piercings was found 23 . In the state of Goiás, Central Brazil, a study on 481 homeless men showed a significant association between HCV infection and drug use, number of sexual partners, and sexually transmissible diseases; however, there was no 7/8 association between HCV infection and the presence of tattoos and piercings 24 . A study of drug users in the Island of Marajó, Amazon showed that age (35 years), presence of tattoos, IDU, sharing injection equipment, and daily and prolonged use (>3 years) of illegal drugs were associated with HCV positivity 25 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Epidemiological survey of hepatitis C in a region considered to have high prevalence: the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Gomide

Melo

Santos

et al. 2019

Rev. Soc. Bras. Med. Trop.

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Introduction: The prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is affected by demographic, virological, clinical, and lifestylerelated factors and varies in different regions in Brazil or worldwide. The present study aimed to clarify the epidemiological patterns of HCV infection in the interior region of Brazil. Methods: This study was conducted in the Southern Triangle Macro-region of the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil, according to the guidelines of the National Program for the Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis. The participants answered a structured questionnaire on social and epidemiological factors.Immunochromatographic rapid tests were used for the qualitative detection of antibodies against HCV in whole blood (Alere HCV® Code 02FK10) in adult subjects by a free-standing method. Results: Of 24,085 tested individuals, 184 (0.76%) were anti-HCV positive. The majority of anti-HCV-positive individuals were born between 1951 and 1980 (n=146 [79.3%]), with 68 women and 116 men. Identified risk factors included syringe and/or needle sharing (p = 0.003), being in prison (p = 0.004), and having tattoos or piercings (p = 0.005) and were significantly associated with the decade of birth. Conclusions: The study shows the importance of testing populations at risk for HCV infection, including incarcerated individuals, those with tattoos or piercings, those who share or have shared syringes or needles, and those in high-risk birth cohorts (1950s, 1960s, and 1970s) in the Southern Triangle Macro-region.

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Exposure to hepatitis C virus in homeless men in Central Brazil: a cross-sectional study

Cited by 9 publications

References 36 publications

Global elimination of hepatitis C virus infection: Progresses and the remaining challenges

Global elimination of hepatitis C virus infection: Progresses and the remaining challenges

Epidemiology of hepatitis B virus infection in people living in poverty in the central-west region of Brazil

Epidemiological survey of hepatitis C in a region considered to have high prevalence: the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil

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