Abstract
It is estimated that approximately 130-170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). According to data from WHO community and blood donor surveys, the African and Eastern Mediterranean countries report the highest prevalence rates ( > 10%). The rates of infection in the general population and the incidence of newly-acquired cases indicate an appreciable change in the epidemiology of the infection in recent years. Prior to the widespread screening of blood donations, infected blood and blood products represented a common source of infection. On the other hand, the high peak in HCV antibodies among the elderly in Italian epidemiological studies on the population at large reflects a cohort effect due to an epidemic of HCV infection occurring after the Second World War. According to data reported by the CDC Surveillance System, the incidence of acute hepatitis C has declined since the late 1980s. In 2005, as in previous years, the majority of such cases in North America and Northern Europe occurred among young adults and injected drug use was the most common risk factor. Other, less commonly reported modes of HCV acquisition are occupational exposure to blood, high-risk sexual activity, tattooing, body piercing and other forms of skin penetration. Finally, the overall rate of mother-tochild transmission from HCV-infected, HIV-negative mothers has been estimated at around 5% (coinfection with HIV raises this figure to 19.4%). HCV prevention relies on identifying and counseling uninfected persons at risk of contracting hepatitis C.
Keywords: Hepatitis C virus, epidemiology, prevalence, incidence, high risk groups
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title: Epidemiology of HCV Infection
Volume: 14 Issue: 17
Author(s): V. Baldo, T. Baldovin, R. Trivello and A. Floreani
Affiliation:
Keywords: Hepatitis C virus, epidemiology, prevalence, incidence, high risk groups
Abstract: It is estimated that approximately 130-170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV). According to data from WHO community and blood donor surveys, the African and Eastern Mediterranean countries report the highest prevalence rates ( > 10%). The rates of infection in the general population and the incidence of newly-acquired cases indicate an appreciable change in the epidemiology of the infection in recent years. Prior to the widespread screening of blood donations, infected blood and blood products represented a common source of infection. On the other hand, the high peak in HCV antibodies among the elderly in Italian epidemiological studies on the population at large reflects a cohort effect due to an epidemic of HCV infection occurring after the Second World War. According to data reported by the CDC Surveillance System, the incidence of acute hepatitis C has declined since the late 1980s. In 2005, as in previous years, the majority of such cases in North America and Northern Europe occurred among young adults and injected drug use was the most common risk factor. Other, less commonly reported modes of HCV acquisition are occupational exposure to blood, high-risk sexual activity, tattooing, body piercing and other forms of skin penetration. Finally, the overall rate of mother-tochild transmission from HCV-infected, HIV-negative mothers has been estimated at around 5% (coinfection with HIV raises this figure to 19.4%). HCV prevention relies on identifying and counseling uninfected persons at risk of contracting hepatitis C.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Baldo V., Baldovin T., Trivello R. and Floreani A., Epidemiology of HCV Infection, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2008; 14 (17) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161208784746770
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/138161208784746770 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Multi-Target Inhibitors for Proteins Associated with Alzheimer: In Silico Discovery using Fragment-Based Descriptors
Current Alzheimer Research Potential Correlation between Tumor Aggressiveness and Protein Expression Patterns of Nipple Aspirate Fluid (NAF) Revealed by Gel-Based Proteomic Analysis
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Direct Targeting of the Ras GTPase Superfamily Through Structure- Based Design
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Synthesis and Bioactivity of Novel Carvacrol and Thymol Derivatives Containing 5-Phenyl-2-furan
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Versatile Synthesis of Organic Compounds Derived from Ascorbic Acid
Current Organocatalysis Neurodegeneration and the Heat Shock Protein 70 Machinery: Implications for Therapeutic Development
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Synthetic Peptides As Non-Viral DNA Vectors
Current Gene Therapy A Review of Automatic Malaria Parasites Detection and Segmentation in Microscopic Images
Anti-Infective Agents In vivo Distribution of Tiotropium in a Rodent Model Utilizing AP-SMALDI Mass Spectrometry Imaging
Current Analytical Chemistry The Male Peripubertal Phase as a Developmental Window for Reproductive Toxicology Studies
Current Pharmaceutical Design 2, 7-Diarylidene-cycloheptanone, Hydrazonoyl Chlorides and Heterocyclic Amines as Precursors for Synthesis of Bioactive new Fused Cycloheptapyrimidine Derivatives
Current Organic Synthesis Regulatory Roles of Amino Acids in Immune Response
Current Rheumatology Reviews Cell-Free Technologies for Proteomics and Protein Engineering
Protein & Peptide Letters Evaluation of Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Approaches as a Tool to Quantify the Stability of Antisense Oligodeoxynucleotides
Current Pharmaceutical Analysis Non-viral Gene Delivery and Therapeutics Targeting to Brain
Current Nanoscience Different Methods for Molecular and Rapid Detection of Human Novel Coronavirus
Current Pharmaceutical Design The Universal Nature, Unequal Distribution and Antioxidant Functions of Melatonin and Its Derivatives
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry Interaction of Flavonoids with Serum Albumin: A Review
Current Protein & Peptide Science Evaluating Five <i>Escherichia coli</i> Derivative Strains as a Platform for Arginine Deiminase Overproduction
Recent Patents on Biotechnology Identification and Determination of Potential Impurities Present in the Acyclovir Drug Substance by GC-MS
Current Pharmaceutical Analysis