hivandhepatitis.com

CDC: Hepatitis C Testing Requires Both Antibody Screening and HCV RNA Follow-up

Half of all people who receive an initial hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody screening test never return for follow-up viral load testing to determine if they are still infected, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study. Confirmatory testing is needed to link people with chronic hepatitis C to appropriate care and treatment. "You may not remember what you did in the 60s and 70s," said CDC director Thomas Frieden,"but your liver does."

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AASLD: HCV Screening of 1945-1965 Birth Cohort Appears Cost-Effective

Screening all people in the U.S. in the 46 to 66 year age group for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection would identify more than 800,000 additional cases, and offering testing plus treatment if needed would be cost-effective, according to an analysis presented at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Liver Meeting (AASLD 2011) this month in San Francisco.

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Task Force Recommends Hepatitis C Screening for Baby Boomers, but Data Inconclusive

Adults born between 1945 and 1965 should consider screening for hepatitis C, with a stronger recommendation for people with risk factors such as a history of injection drug use or blood transfusions before 1992, according to draft recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). A set of literature reviews, however, found that data on the benefits of testing are lacking.

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FDA OKs New Abbott HCV Test

Abbott last week announced that the FDA approved a new PCR blood test for hepatitis C virus (HCV) with a 12 IU/mL limit of detection and quantification.

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CDC Expands Hepatitis C Testing Guidelines to Include All Baby Boomers

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week updated its hepatitis C testing guidelines to recommend that everyone born between 1945 and 1965 get tested for hepatitis C virus (HCV) at least once, regardless of traditional risk factors.

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Screen for HCV Based on Age, Not Risk Factors

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National Hepatitis Testing Day: Most Infected Are Unaware, All Boomers Should Get HCV Test

In advance of the National Hepatitis Testing Day on Saturday, May 19, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued a new recommendation that all Baby Boomers born between 1945 and 1965 should get tested at least once for hepatitis C. Testing Day events will also promote hepatitis B screening, especially for Asian communities. Research shows that a large majority of people with hepatitis B or C do not know they are infected.

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FDA Approves HCV Rapid Antibody Test for Fingerstick Blood Samples

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