Hepatitis C News

“Test. Treat. Hepatitis.” is this year’s World Hepatitis Day theme. The direct-acting antiviral era has seen a significant increase in the number of patients with hepatitis C clearing their infection. Along with this, public awareness of the disease and its highly effective cure has increased.

Growing evidence supports the overall benefits and cost-effective outcomes of testing for and treating hepatitis C in the prison “microenvironment,” according to a review of recent studies.

SeraCare Life Sciences announced the launch of the company’s proprietary AccuSpan HCV RNA Linearity Panel designed to monitor HCV RNA recovery at defined intervals, according to a press release.

Studies that focus on specific patient characteristics and demographics often reveal key strategies to improve health care at the individual patient level. Liver disease research focused on women and mothers has shown that women face fertility risks with hepatitis C and higher risks for liver injury or failure with chronic liver disease.

Results of a recent study provided continued confirmation that increased rates of hepatocellular carcinoma among patients treated with direct-acting antivirals compared with interferon correlated with patient characteristics such as age and liver function rather than treatment.

Researchers identified four patients with a novel hepatitis C genotype, according to study published in The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Novel point-of-care hepatitis C tests have advanced the potential for same-day viral diagnosis, which could significantly contribute to global elimination efforts by reaching difficult-to-engage populations such as homeless individuals, people who inject drugs, and individuals in low- or middle-income settings.

The opioid epidemic in the United States has affected millions, exposing them to health risks that include a range of infectious diseases.

A vaccine that would provide incomplete immunity against hepatitis C virus could still reduce the spread of the virus among drug users sharing syringes, according to study results published in Science Translational Medicine.

Kidney transplant with a kidney infected with hepatitis C virus, followed by treatment for the hepatitis C, was effective and reduced costs compared with transplant with an uninfected kidney after hepatitis C treatment, according to new research published in Annals of Internal Medicine.