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Open Access 01-09-2014 | Review

Update on epidemiology of HCV in Italy: focus on the Calabria Region

Authors: Nadia Marascio, Maria Carla Liberto, Giorgio Settimo Barreca, Emilia Zicca, Angela Quirino, Angelo Giuseppe Lamberti, Giovanna Bianco, Giovanni Matera, Lorenzo Surace, Giuseppina Berardelli, Lidia Surace, Vincenzo De Maria, Francesca Giancotti, Rosa Anna Leone, Vilma Villella, Salvatore Nisticò, Annelisa Borelli, Vincenzina Caruso, Massimo Calderazzo, Gianfranco Griffo, Rosanna Masciari, Pasquale Minchella, Lucio Cosco, Carmelo Laganà, Angela Oliva, Giuseppe Foti, Maria Teresa Fiorillo, Giuseppa Lo Bocchiaro, Pasquale Surace, Anna Rita Ciccaglione, Massimo Ciccozzi, Francesco Cesario, Carlo Torti, Alfredo Focà

Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases | Special Issue 5/2014

Abstract

The epidemiological profile of HCV infection is evolving in Europe, as well as in Italy. We have previously showed genotype distributions and their dynamics in 2,153 HCV RNA positive patients living in Calabria, Southern Italy, over 11 years. In this study, we extend and update this information by evaluating a hospital-based cohort of 945 HCV RNA positive patients attending five hospitals in the Calabria Region from January 2011 to August 2013. We assessed rates of HCV genotypes according to age and gender and the dynamics of HCV genotype distribution over the 3-year period studied. Data showed that genotype 1b is the most prevalent, followed by subtypes 2a/2c and genotype 3. Genotype 4 exhibited an increase between 2011 and 2013. Also, we found a significant decrease in the median age of subjects infected with HCV genotype 3 and 4 during the period studied. Since HCV genotypes are important in epidemiology, pathogenesis and response to antiviral therapy, a continuous epidemiological surveillance is needed.

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Title: Update on epidemiology of HCV in Italy: focus on the Calabria Region
Authors: Nadia Marascio
Maria Carla Liberto
Giorgio Settimo Barreca
Emilia Zicca
Angela Quirino
Angelo Giuseppe Lamberti
Giovanna Bianco
Giovanni Matera
Lorenzo Surace
Giuseppina Berardelli
Lidia Surace
Vincenzo De Maria
Francesca Giancotti
Rosa Anna Leone
Vilma Villella
Salvatore Nisticò
Annelisa Borelli
Vincenzina Caruso
Massimo Calderazzo
Gianfranco Griffo
Rosanna Masciari
Pasquale Minchella
Lucio Cosco
Carmelo Laganà
Angela Oliva
Giuseppe Foti
Maria Teresa Fiorillo
Giuseppa Lo Bocchiaro
Pasquale Surace
Anna Rita Ciccaglione
Massimo Ciccozzi
Francesco Cesario
Carlo Torti
Alfredo Focà
Publication date: 01-09-2014
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Infectious Diseases / Issue Special Issue 5/2014
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2334
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2334-14-S5-S2

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