74000-children-born-annually-with-hepatitis-c-worldwide-study-estimates

Story by Science X staff MSN

​A new study has estimated, for the first time, the number of children born globally with hepatitis C virus. The research, led by researchers from the National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Evaluation and Behavioral Science (NIHR HPRU EBS) at the University of Bristol, estimated that each year around 74,000 children globally are born with hepatitis C virus (HCV), with around 23,000 of these children estimated to still have HCV infection at age five.

Pakistan and Nigeria were the countries shown to have the highest levels of cases, followed by China, Russia, and India, which in total were found to make up around half of all vertically transmitted infections.
The study, published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology, produced estimates for each country, which is a first, as previously such figures were only available for Pakistan, Egypt, and the U.S. using data from more than 10 years ago.

Lead author Dr. Adam Trickey, Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bristol Medical School, said, "Our study findings highlight not only the scale of transmission, but also the great need for more testing. Without this testing the virus, which can be cured in most cases, is left untreated in young children who contract the virus from birth.

"These statistics are important for policymakers and health care planners as they uncover a major source of new HCV infections that has so far been understudied. There are also implications for service delivery, as pregnancy is often a time where it is possible for health care providers to engage with people who they might not usually be in contact with, offering a chance to screen them for HCV and connect them to care if necessary."

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