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Abstract Details
Real-world monitoring progress towards the elimination of hepatitis C virus in Australia using sentinel surveillance of primary care clinics; an ecological study of hepatitis C virus antibody tests from 2009 to 2019
Epidemiol Infect. 2021 Dec 6;150:e7. doi: 10.1017/S0950268821002624.
Anna Lee Wilkinson12, Alisa Pedrana12, Michael W Traeger12, Jason Asselin1, Carol El-Hayek1, Long Nguyen1, Victoria Polkinghorne1, Joseph S Doyle13, Alexander J Thompson45, Jessica Howell1245, Nick Scott12, Wayne Dimech6, Rebecca Guy7, Margaret Hellard1238, Mark Stoové12, EC Victoria Partnership and the Australian Collaboration for Coordinated Enhanced Sentinel Surveillance of blood-borne viruses AND sexually transmissible infections (ACCESS)
Author information
Disease Elimination Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Infectious Diseases, The Alfred and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Gastroenterology, St Vincent's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.
Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
National Serology Reference Laboratory, Melbourne, Australia.
Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
Doherty Institute and Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia.
Abstract
To achieve the elimination of the hepatitis C virus (HCV), sustained and sufficient levels of HCV testing is critical. The purpose of this study was to assess trends in testing and evaluate the effectiveness of strategies to diagnose people living with HCV. Data were from 12 primary care clinics in Victoria, Australia, that provide targeted services to people who inject drugs (PWID), alongside general health care. This ecological study spanned 2009-2019 and included analyses of trends in annual numbers of HCV antibody tests among individuals with no previous positive HCV antibody test recorded and annual test yield (positive HCV antibody tests/all HCV antibody tests). Generalised linear models estimated the association between count outcomes (HCV antibody tests and positive HCV antibody tests) and time, and χ2 test assessed the trend in test yield. A total of 44 889 HCV antibody tests were conducted 2009-2019; test numbers increased 6% annually on average [95% confidence interval (CI) 4-9]. Test yield declined from 2009 (21%) to 2019 (9%) (χ2P = <0.01). In more recent years (2013-2019) annual test yield remained relatively stable. Modest increases in HCV antibody testing and stable but high test yield within clinics delivering services to PWID highlights testing strategies are resulting in people are being diagnosed however further increases in the testing of people at risk of HCV or living with HCV may be needed to reach Australia's HCV elimination goals.