Historical epidemiology of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in selected countries
Open Access
- 8 April 2014
- journal article
- review article
- Published by Wiley in Journal of Viral Hepatitis
- Vol. 21 (s1), 5-33
- https://doi.org/10.1111/jvh.12247
Abstract
Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a leading indicator for liver disease. New treatment options are becoming available, and there is a need to characterize the epidemiology and disease burden of HCV. Data for prevalence, viremia, genotype, diagnosis and treatment were obtained through literature searches and expert consensus for 16 countries. For some countries, data from centralized registries were used to estimate diagnosis and treatment rates. Data for the number of liver transplants and the proportion attributable to HCV were obtained from centralized databases. Viremic prevalence estimates varied widely between countries, ranging from 0.3% in Austria, England and Germany to 8.5% in Egypt. The largest viremic populations were in Egypt, with 6 358 000 cases in 2008 and Brazil with 2 106 000 cases in 2007. The age distribution of cases differed between countries. In most countries, prevalence rates were higher among males, reflecting higher rates of injection drug use. Diagnosis, treatment and transplant levels also differed considerably between countries. Reliable estimates characterizing HCV‐infected populations are critical for addressing HCV‐related morbidity and mortality. There is a need to quantify the burden of chronic HCV infection at the national level.Keywords
Funding Information
- Gilead Sciences
This publication has 104 references indexed in Scilit:
- Treatment of hepatitis C virus infection in the futureClinical and Translational Medicine, 2013
- Prevalence and risk factors of Hepatitis C virus infection in Brazil, 2005 through 2009: a cross-sectional studyBMC Infectious Diseases, 2013
- Hepatitis C prevalence in Denmark -an estimate based on multiple national registersBMC Infectious Diseases, 2012
- High Prevalence of Anti-HCV Antibodies in Two Metropolitan Emergency Departments in Germany: A Prospective Screening Analysis of 28,809 PatientsPLOS ONE, 2012
- Epidemiology of Viral Hepatitis and Hepatocellular CarcinomaGastroenterology, 2012
- External review and validation of the Swedish national inpatient registerBMC Public Health, 2011
- Boceprevir for Previously Treated Chronic HCV Genotype 1 InfectionNew England Journal of Medicine, 2011
- Evidence of intense ongoing endemic transmission of hepatitis C virus in EgyptProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2010
- Modelling the hepatitis C virus epidemic in AustraliaDrug and Alcohol Dependence, 2007
- Seroprevalence of hepatitis B and C in Brazilian army conscripts in 2002: a cross-sectional studyThe Brazilian Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2005