Birth cohort distribution and screening for viraemic hepatitis C virus infections in Switzerland

Philip Bruggmann; Francesco Negro; Florian Bihl; Sarah Blach; Daniel Lavanchy; Beat Müllhaupt; Homie Razavi; David Semela

doi:10.4414/smw.2015.14221

Peer reviewed clinical letter

Vol. 145 No. 4950 (2015)

Birth cohort distribution and screening for viraemic hepatitis C virus infections in Switzerland

Philip Bruggmann
Francesco Negro
Florian Bihl
Sarah Blach
Daniel Lavanchy
Beat Müllhaupt
Homie Razavi
David Semela

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4414/smw.2015.14221
Cite this as:: Swiss Med Wkly. 2015;145:w14221
Published: 29.11.2015

Summary

OBJECTIVE: In Switzerland, fewer than 40% of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infected individuals have been diagnosed. The aim of this project was to analyse the distribution of HCV cases in order to develop better detection strategies.

STUDY DESIGN: Historical data on the HCV-infected population in Switzerland were obtained from published literature, unpublished data and government reports. A disease progression model was used to age the infected population to 2015. The HCV distribution was then used to identify 5-year age cohorts with the highest HCV prevalence. The estimated number of cases needed to screen within an age cohort was calculated using the estimated viraemic prevalence, removing the percent previously diagnosed.

RESULTS: In 2015, the median age of the viraemic HCV infected population was 49 years, with 75% of the population born between 1951 and 1985. Random screening of the general population could identify one new viraemic HCV case per 159 persons screened, compared with targeted birth cohort screening, which could identify one new viraemic HCV case per 90–99 persons screened.

CONCLUSION: Considering only the direct cost of screening and treatment informing tests, targeted screening by birth cohort is more effective and cost effective than random screening in the general population.

References

Tomaszewski KJ, Deniz B, Tomanovich P, Graham CS. Comparison of current US risk strategy to screen for hepatitis C virus with a hypothetical targeted birth cohort strategy. Am J Public Health. 2012;102(11):e101–e106.
Moyer VA. Screening for hepatitis C virus infection in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2013;159(5):349–57.
Rein DB, Smith BD, Wittenborn JS, Lesesne SB, Wagner LD, Roblin DW, et al. The cost-effectiveness of birth-cohort screening for hepatitis C antibody in U.S. primary care settings. Ann Intern Med. 2012;156(4):263–70.
Bruggmann P, Richard JL. Birth year distribution in reported hepatitis C cases in Switzerland. Eur J Public Health. 2014.
Sagmeister M, Renner EL, Mullhaupt B, Wong JB. Simulation of hepatitis C based on a mandatory reporting system. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2002;14(1):25–34.
Fretz R, Negro F, Bruggmann P, Lavanchy D, De Gottardi A, Pache I, et al. Hepatitis B and C in Switzerland-healthcare provider initiated testing for chronic hepatitis B and C infection. Swiss Med Wkly. 2013;143: w13793.
Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Number of hepatitis C cases reported in Switzerland between 1988 and 2012 by year of birth (mandatory notification of laboratory confirmed cases): FOPH/ID/EPI/RIC. 2013.
Denniston MM, Jiles RB, Drobeniuc J, Klevens RM, Ward JW, McQuillan GM, et al. Chronic hepatitis C virus infection in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003 to 2010. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(5):293–300.
Mullhaupt B, Bruggmann P, Bihl F, Blach S, Lavanchy D, Razavi H, et al. Modeling the Health and Economic Burden of Hepatitis C Virus in Switzerland. PLoS One 2015;10(6):e0125214.
Razavi H, Waked I, Sarrazin C, Myers RP, Idilman R, Calinas F, et al. The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with today’s treatment paradigm. J Viral Hepat. 2014;21(Suppl 1):34–59.
Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. [Analysis List]. 2015 Jan 1.
Deeks A, Lombard C, Michelmore J, Teede H. The effects of gender and age on health related behaviors. BMC Public Health. 2009;9:213.

How to Cite

1.

Bruggmann P, Negro F, Bihl F, Blach S, Lavanchy D, Müllhaupt B, Razavi H, Semela D. Birth cohort distribution and screening for viraemic hepatitis C virus infections in Switzerland. Swiss Med Wkly [Internet]. 2015 Nov. 29 [cited 2024 Apr. 17];145(4950):w14221. Available from: https://smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/2111

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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[1] Tomaszewski KJ, Deniz B, Tomanovich P, Graham CS. Comparison of current US risk strategy to screen for hepatitis C virus with a hypothetical targeted birth cohort strategy. Am J Public Health. 2012;102(11):e101–e106.

[2] Moyer VA. Screening for hepatitis C virus infection in adults: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Ann Intern Med. 2013;159(5):349–57.

[3] Rein DB, Smith BD, Wittenborn JS, Lesesne SB, Wagner LD, Roblin DW, et al. The cost-effectiveness of birth-cohort screening for hepatitis C antibody in U.S. primary care settings. Ann Intern Med. 2012;156(4):263–70.

[4] Bruggmann P, Richard JL. Birth year distribution in reported hepatitis C cases in Switzerland. Eur J Public Health. 2014.

[5] Sagmeister M, Renner EL, Mullhaupt B, Wong JB. Simulation of hepatitis C based on a mandatory reporting system. Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2002;14(1):25–34.

[6] Fretz R, Negro F, Bruggmann P, Lavanchy D, De Gottardi A, Pache I, et al. Hepatitis B and C in Switzerland-healthcare provider initiated testing for chronic hepatitis B and C infection. Swiss Med Wkly. 2013;143: w13793.

[7] Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. Number of hepatitis C cases reported in Switzerland between 1988 and 2012 by year of birth (mandatory notification of laboratory confirmed cases): FOPH/ID/EPI/RIC. 2013.

[8] Denniston MM, Jiles RB, Drobeniuc J, Klevens RM, Ward JW, McQuillan GM, et al. Chronic hepatitis C virus infection in the United States, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003 to 2010. Ann Intern Med. 2014;160(5):293–300.

[9] Mullhaupt B, Bruggmann P, Bihl F, Blach S, Lavanchy D, Razavi H, et al. Modeling the Health and Economic Burden of Hepatitis C Virus in Switzerland. PLoS One 2015;10(6):e0125214.

[10] Razavi H, Waked I, Sarrazin C, Myers RP, Idilman R, Calinas F, et al. The present and future disease burden of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with today’s treatment paradigm. J Viral Hepat. 2014;21(Suppl 1):34–59.

[11] Swiss Federal Office of Public Health. [Analysis List]. 2015 Jan 1.

[12] Deeks A, Lombard C, Michelmore J, Teede H. The effects of gender and age on health related behaviors. BMC Public Health. 2009;9:213.