Prevalence of Hepatitis C and treatment uptake in regional Victoria

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in regional Victoria and assess amenability to treatment. Methods: Households were randomly selected and one adult from each was invited to a ‘clinic’, which included HCV, liver function and liver stiffness/fibrosis tests. Participants reactive to HCV were asked about their amenability to treatment. Results: The study identified eight cases of HCV (antibody and PCR reactive, 1.1%) among 748 participants, half of which were new diagnoses. Most of the HCV-reactive participants were male (89%). Liver function and fibrosis were not significantly different between HCV-reactive and non-reactive participa..