Screening program for hepatitis c virus in an open population at a third-level healthcare center

Worldwide, there are 71 million people with chronic hepatitis C (HCV), and yearly 1,5 million become infected. In Mexico, it is estimated between 400,000 to 600,000 viremic. Among the WHO goals for 2030 is to detect >90% of people with HCV. This study aimed to describe the screening strategy carried out in the open population using two-step HCV screening tests at the Hospital General de México from January to December 2021. Study in an open population that attended the General Hospital of Mexico for any reason, and agreed to take the risk factor questionnaire and underwent a rapid test for the detection of anti-HCV antibodies (RT), which were reactive, load viral (PCR to detect HCV-RNA). Descriptive statistics and the statistical package STATA v.14 were used. In 2021, 33,523 subjects were examined; 71.5% were women, mean age of 47±10 years. Reported at least one risk factor for HCV 53.5%. The most frequent risk factors were: Multiple sexual partners/history of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) 36.2%, tattoos/piercings 26.7%, surgery before 1995 20.2%, transfusion before 1994 5.4 % and health workers after accidental puncture 4.2%. Of the 33,523, 0.7% were reactive in RT. Of the reagents in RP, the PCR was positive in 57.9% (prevalence of viremia= 0.4%). Of the viremic patients, the risk factors identified were blood transfusion before 1995 37%, multiple sexual partners/STDs 35%, surgery before 1995 30%, tattoos/piercings 30%, and injected drugs only 3.5%. All viraemic (100%) linked to treatment. HCV prevalence was similar to that previously reported. Traditional risk factors such as transfusion or surgery remain highly prevalent. Timely diagnosis of HCV allows linkage to treatment. The resources used in this study were from the hospital without any additional financing The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest.