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Brief Summary
Background: Over the past 2 years, there have been a number of significant changes in surveillance for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. From data currently available, the number of acute hepatitis C cases has increased more than 40% in 2011 and 2012 compared with the 2006-2010 period. Data collected by some state and city health departments indicate that these cases are increasingly seen in young (aged < 24 years), non-minority, non-urban heroin injectors who started opioid abuse with oral prescription drugs, such as oxycontin and oxycodone. In June 2013, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPHS) recommended offering one-time screening for HCV infection to adults born during 1945-1965. Further, the recommended laboratory testing algorithm for HCV, issued in May 2013, has been streamlined. It is important to evaluate and understand the impact of these changes on surveillance for hepatitis C, the number and characteristics of cases, and overall burden of disease.
Brief Summary:
Staff from the Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) staff will present findings from analyses of surveillance data for HCV infection and provide updates about the new testing recommendation and testing algorithm for HCV infection.
State and local epidemiologists who attend this round table will be encouraged to share their experiences with regard to the new recommendations for HCV testing and linkage to care, increases in acute HCV cases among young adults, the potential need for a surveillance case definition for perinatal HCV infection, and the interpretation and use of signal-to-cut-off ratio in HCV antibody detection. Information shared by state and local viral hepatitis surveillance programs will be used to guide current and future activities of DVH and the States.