Year 2019 / Volume 111 / Number 8
Original
Geographic analysis and estimation of hepatitis C cases in migrant populations living in Spain: is a country-based screening strategy appropriate?

615-625

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2019.6117/2018

María Esther Alarcón Linares, Alberto Torres Cantero, Carme Subirá, Oriana Ramírez Rubio, Javier Crespo, Jeffrey V. Lazarus, Ana Requena-Méndez,

Abstract
Background: Spain needs to increase the number of new known cases in order to achieve the goal of eliminating hepatitis C virus (HCV) by 2030. The aim of this study was to estimate the number of HCV cases among the migrant population in Spain and propose different scenarios for micro-elimination strategies, targeting the most relevant migrant groups. Methodology: this epidemiological and demographic cross-sectional descriptive study employed a systematic approach to estimate the number of migrants infected by HCV in Spain. Estimates are based on demographic data and details the size of the foreign-born population living in every Spanish province and the anti-HVC+ prevalence rates in their respective countries of origin. Results: in Spain, there are 100,268 estimated cases of anti-HCV+ among the total adult migrant population who live in the country. The estimated cases of anti-HCV+ among migrants from moderate-high endemic countries with a prevalence of ≥ 2%, > 3%, > 4% and > 5% are 48,979, 48,029, 24,176 and 15,646, respectively. The anti-HCV+ endemic countries (≥ 2%) that contribute to the highest number of estimated cases in Spain are Romania, Italy, Pakistan, Ukraine, Senegal, Russia and Nigeria. The autonomous communities with the highest prevalence and number of estimated anti-HCV+ cases among migrant population are Catalonia, Valencian Community, Madrid and Andalusia, respectively. Conclusion: these data show the need to establish HCV screening strategies for the migrant population in Spain and, particularly, in the most affected areas. The strategy should target those migrant communities with a higher prevalence and a higher number of estimated cases, such as people from Eastern Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Pakistan.
Share Button
New comment
Comments
No comments for this article
References
1.World Health Organization Guidelines for the screening, care and treatment of persons with chronic hepatitis C infection, updated version. April 2016.
2. World Health Organization. Global health sector strategy on viral hepatitis 2016–2021. Geneva, Switzerland. 2016.
3.WHO. Global Hepatitis Report 2017. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2017.
4. Document of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
http://www.un.org/ga/search/view_doc.asp?symbol=A/70/L.1&Lang=S
5. Berenguer J. Elimination of hepatitis C virus in Spain: A pending challenge. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2018;36(6):323–324.
6. Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad (Internet). Informe anual del Sistema Nacional de Salud, 2015;
http://www.msssi.gob.es/estadEstudios/estadisticas/sisInfSanSNS/tablasEstadisticas/Inf_Anual_SNS_2015.1.pdf
7. Aguinaga A, Díaz-González J, Alejandra Pérez-García A, et al. Estimación de la prevalencia de infección diagnosticada y no diagnosticada por el virus de la hepatitis C en Navarra, 2014-2016. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eimc.2016.12.008
8. I Encuesta De Seroprevalencia De La Comunidad Autónoma Del País Vasco. Departamento de Sanidad y Consumo. Vitoria-Gasteiz, 2011.
9. Gómez-Escolar Viejo, García Herola A, Sáez Lloret I, et al. Screening of hepatitis C virus infection in adult general population in Spain. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2018 Sep;30(9):1077-1081. doi: 10.1097/MEG.0000000000001190.
10. Cuadrado A, Perelló C, Llerena S, Gomez M, Escudero MD, Rodriguez L, et al. Estudio de la prevalencia de la hepatitis C en la población española. EstudioPrevHep/Cohorte Ethon. Madrid: 42 Congreso Anual AEEH; 2017.
11. A.M. Hill, A. Khan, B. Simmons, M. Riveiro-Barciela, M. Buti. La Hepatitis C no se eliminará de España en 2030 si no se modifican las estrategias de cribado. Madrid: 43º Congreso Anual AEEH; 2018.
12. Ministerio de Sanidad, Servicios Sociales e Igualdad. Plan estratégico para el abordaje de la hepatitis C en el Sistema Nacional de Salud. Madrid, 21 de mayo de 2015: http://www.msssi.gob.es/ciudadanos/enfLesiones/enfTransmisibles/hepatitisC/PlanEstrategicoHEPATITISC/docs/plan_estrategico_hepatitis_C.pdf
13. Mohd Hanafiah K7.-Groeger J, Flaxman AD. Global epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection: new estimates of age-specific antibody to HCV seroprevalence. Hepatology. 2013 Apr;57(4):1333-42. doi: 10.1002/hep.26141. Epub 2013 Feb 4.
14. Guidelines on hepatitis B and C testing - Policy brief. Geneva: World Health Organization; Nov 2016
15. Global Health Sector Strategy on Viral Hepatitis (2016–2021). Towards Ending Viral Hepatitis: World Health Organization; Jun 2016.
16. National Hepatitis C Strategy 2011-2014 (Ireland) ISBN 978-1-906218-58-4
17. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Hepatitis B and C: ways to promote and offer testing to people at increased risk of infection. NICE, 2012. http://guidance.nice.org.uk/PH43.
18. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Hepatitis B and C testing: people at risk of infection. Public health guideline. Published: 12 December,2012. nice.org.uk/guidance/ph43
19. SIGN 133: Management of hepatitis C. A national clinical guideline July 2013. Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS). ISBN 978 1 909103 13 9
20. National Health Service: NHS Guidance on Testing, Diagnosis and Referral Of Bloodborne Viruses Version 1.0 April 2013. http://library.nhsggc.org.uk/mediaAssets/PHPU/NHSGGC%20BBV%20Testing%20Guidance.pdf
21 Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care: Recommendations on hepatitis C screening for adults. CMAJ 2017 April 24;189:E594-604. doi: 10.1503/cmaj.161521. http://www.cmaj.ca/content/189/16/E594.full.pdf+html
22. Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care: Recommendations on hepatitis C screening for adults. https://canadiantaskforce.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/CTFPHC_Hepatitis-C_Clinician-FAQ_v10_FINAL-1.pdf
23. Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE). (Consulted: 03/11/2017).
http://www.ine.es/dynt3/inebase/es/index.htm?type=pcaxis&file=pcaxis&path=%2Ft20%2Fe245%2Fp04%2F%2Fa201624. European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. Epidemiological assessment of hepatitis B and C among migrants in the EU/EEA. Stockholm: ECDC; 2016
25. Gower E, Estes C, Blach S, Razavi-Shearer K, et al. Global epidemiology and genotype distribution of the hepatitis C virus infection. J Hepatol. 2014;61(1):S45-S57.
26. http://www.diva-gis.org/.
27. WHO: Guidelines on hepatitis B and C testing. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; (Nov 2016)
28. Lazarus JV, Wiktor S, Colombo M, Thursz M, on behalf of the EASL International Liver Foundation. Micro-elimination – A path to global elimination of hepatitis C Journal of Hepatology,. vol. 67 j 665–666.(2017)
29. Zuccaro O, Tosti ME, Mele A, Spada E and SEIEVA Collaborative Group. Epidemiology of acute viral hepatitis in Italy: Results of the surveillance through SEIEVA (Sistema Epidemiologico Integrato dell’Epatite Virale Acuta). Roma: Istituto Superiore di Sanità; 2012. (Rapporti ISTISAN 12/4).
30. Marascio et al.: Update on epidemiology of HCV in Italy: focus on the Calabria Region. BMC Infectious Diseases, 14(Suppl 5):S2, (2014)
31. Buonfrate Dora, Gobbi Federico, Marchese Valentina, Postiglione Chiara, Badona Monteiro Geraldo, Giorli Giovanni, Napoletano Giuseppina, Bisoffi Zeno. Extended screening for infectious diseases among newly-arrived asylum seekers from Africa and Asia, Verona province, Italy, April 2014 to June 2015. Euro Surveill. 2018; 23(16):pii=17-00527. https://doi.org/10.2807/1560-7917.ES.2018.23.16.17-00527
32. Manzardo C Treviño B, Gómez i Prat J, Cabezos J, Mongua E, I Claverıa, Del Vala JL Zabaletab E, Zarzuela,F, Navarroa R Communicable diseases in the immigrant population attended to in a tropical medicine unit: Epidemiological aspects and public health issues. Travel Medicine and Infectious Disease (2008) 6, 4–11
33. Rivas, P*, Herrero M., Poveda E, Madejón A., Treviño A., Gutiérrez M., Ladrón de Guevara C, Lago M, de Mendoza C, Soriano V, Puente S. Hepatitis B, C, and D and HIV Infections among Immigrants from Equatorial Guinea Living in Spain. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 88(4), 2013, pp. 789–794
34. Monge-Maillo,B* Rogelio Lopez-Velez,R Francesca Norman F, Ferrere-González, F Martínez-Perez, A, Pérez-Molina, JA. Screening of Imported Infectious Diseases among Asymptomatic Sub-Saharan African and Latin American Immigrants: A Public Health Challenge. Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 92(4), 2015, pp. 848–856
35. IV Encuesta De Serovigilancia De La Comunidad De Madrid. Subdirección De Promoción De La Salud Y Prevención. Dirección General de Atención Primaria, 2015
36. Lazarus JV, Bromberg DJ, Del Amo J, Norgaard O, García-Samaniego J, Casellas A, Calleja JL, Requena-Méndez A. Hepatitis C prevalence among the immigrant population in Spain: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. May 11. (2018)
37. Mena A, Moldes L, Meijide H, Cañizares A, Castro-Iglesias A , et al. (2014) Seroprevalence of HCV and HIV Infections by Year of Birth in Spain: Impact of US CDC and USPSTF Recommendations for HCV and HIV Testing. PloS ONE 9(12): e113062. doi:10.1371/journal.pone. 0113062
38. Regidor E, Sanz B, Pascual C, Lostao L, Sanchez E y Diaz JM. La utilización de los servicios sanitarios por la población inmigrante en España. Gac Sanit.2009;23(Supl 1):4–11.
39.Hacker, K., Anies, M., Folb, B. L., & Zallman, L. (2015). Barriers to health care for undocumented immigrants: a literature review.Risk Management and Healthcare Policy,8, 175–183. http://doi.org/10.2147/RMHP.S70173
Related articles

Editorial

Cases of liver disease lost in the health system: a call to action

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2021.8316/2021

Original

Active search for hepatitis C patients in primary care

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2021.8067/2021

Original

Hepatitis C in homeless people: reaching a hard-to-reach population

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2021.7737/2020

Editorial

Screening guide for hepatitis C virus infection in Spain

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2020.7728/2020

Review

New non-invasive biomarkers for colorectal cancer screening

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2020.7233/2020

Special Article

Strategy for the Elimination of Hepatitis C in Cantabria

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2020.7108/2020

Editorial

Reflex testing. A key tool for the elimination of hepatitis C

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2020.7201/2020

Original

Quality of life study in asymptomatic patients with hepatitis C

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2019.6339/2019

Letter

Acute seronegative hepatitis C: two case reports

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2019.5921/2018

Editorial

Colorectal cancer screening and survival

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2018.5870/2018

Letter

Why anal cytology is not enough in a dysplasia screening program

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2018.5678/2018

Letter

Dyspepsia, functional dyspepsia and Rome IV criteria

DOI: 10.17235/reed.2018.5599/2018

Citation tools
Alarcón Linares M, Torres Cantero A, Subirá C, Ramírez Rubio O, Crespo J, Lazarus J, et all. Geographic analysis and estimation of hepatitis C cases in migrant populations living in Spain: is a country-based screening strategy appropriate?. 6117/2018


Download to a citation manager

Download the citation for this article by clicking on one of the following citation managers:

Metrics
This article has received 1112 visits.
This article has been downloaded 272 times.

Statistics from Dimensions


Statistics from Plum Analytics

Publication history

Received: 13/12/2018

Accepted: 26/02/2019

Online First: 18/07/2019

Published: 31/07/2019

Article revision time: 67 days

Article Online First time: 217 days

Article editing time: 230 days


Share
This article has been rated by 4 readers.
Reader rating:
Valora este artículo:




Asociación Española de Ecografía Digestiva Sociedad Española de Endoscopia Digestiva Sociedad Española de Patología Digestiva
The Spanish Journal of Gastroenterology is the official organ of the Sociedad Española de Patología Digestiva, the Sociedad Española de Endoscopia Digestiva and the Asociación Española de Ecografía Digestiva
Cookie policy Privacy Policy Legal Notice © Copyright 2023 y Creative Commons. The Spanish Journal of Gastroenterology