Viral load testing was performed on 19 people, 15 of whom were in the initial infection state and the remaining 4 were in the post-treatment state.
The Sonora Department of Health administered 57 tests to the incarcerated at Hermosillo II Social Reintegration Center for the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Of these, 30 displayed anti-HCV antibodies.
The above was part of a day of disease detection among the population deprived of liberty in Hermosillo, the agency reported on Wednesday. For this, the team from the Outpatient Center for HIV and STI Prevention and Care is involved.
case tracking
Once 30 cases were identified, samples from 19 people were taken to test viral loads. Thus, 15 cases were found to be infected in the initial state, while the remaining 4 cases were in the post-treatment state.
In view of this, it is worth mentioning that, according to the Ministry of Health’s “Viral Hepatitis Epidemiological Surveillance Standardization Procedure Manual”, HCV cases can appear in an invisible manner, but can be fatal.
According to the World Health Organization, about 30 percent of those infected spontaneously shed the virus within six months, with the remainder becoming chronic. Furthermore, the international organization states that 15% to 30% of those affected may develop cirrhosis within 20 years.
Given this risk and others associated with the virus, the Ministry of Health reported that comprehensive care was provided for each case observed.
Finally, it is worth noting that HCV epidemiological surveillance data in Sonora (results from recent testing will be added) show that between 9 and 15 July, 3 cases were detected. As a result, the cumulative number of confirmed cases this year is 141, 70 more than will be known in the same period in 2022.
https://www.expreso.com.mx/noticias/hermosillo/hermosillo-detecta-ssa-casos-de-hepatitis-c-en-el-cereso-ii/189098