Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29338702›Full record

ArticleBMC infectious diseases2018

Estimating the scale of chronic hepatitis C virus infection in the EU/EEA: a focus on migrants from anti-HCV endemic countries.

A M Falla, A A Ahmad, E Duffell, T Noori, I K Veldhuijzen

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in BMC infectious diseases, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 28 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
28citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

28 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Prevalence and risk factors of active hepatitis C infection among at-risk migrant populations in Madrid, Spain, 2019 to 2023.Euro surveillance : bulletin Europeen sur les maladies transmissibles = European communicable disease bulletin · 2025
    Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
  8. Article
  9. Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Europe.Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024
    Review
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  11. Article
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  16. Latent infection screening and prevalence in cancer patients born outside of Australia: a universal versus risk-based approach?Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2021
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

A M FallaDepartment of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Rotterdam, the Netherlands. am.falla@rotterdam.nl.
A A AhmadDepartment of Health Sciences, Hamburg University of Applied Sciences, Faculty Life Sciences / Public Health Research, Ulmenliet 20, 21033, Hamburg, Germany.
E DuffellEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Granits väg 8, 171 65, Solna, Sweden.
T NooriEuropean Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Granits väg 8, 171 65, Solna, Sweden.
I K VeldhuijzenDivision of Infectious Disease Control, Municipal Public Health Service Rotterdam-Rijnmond, PO Box 70032, 3000, LP, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Funding

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control ECD.4999
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIncreasing the proportion diagnosed with and on treatment for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is key to the elimination of hepatitis C in Europe. This study contributes to secondary prevention planning in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA) by estimating the number of CHC (anti-HCV positive and viraemic) cases among migrants living in the EU/EEA and born in endemic countries, defining the most affected migrant populations, and assessing whether country of birth prevalence is a reliable proxy for migrant prevalence.

methodsMigrant country of birth and population size extracted from statistical databases and anti-HCV prevalence in countries of birth and in EU/EEA countries derived from a systematic literature search were used to estimate caseload among and most affected migrants. Reliability of country of birth prevalence as a proxy for migrant prevalence was assessed via a systematic literature search.

resultsApproximately 11% of the EU/EEA adult population is foreign-born, 79% of whom were born in endemic (anti-HCV prevalence ≥1%) countries. Anti-HCV/CHC prevalence in migrants from endemic countries residing in the EU/EEA is estimated at 2.3%/1.6%, corresponding to ~580,000 CHC infections or 14% of the CHC disease burden in the EU/EEA. The highest number of cases is found among migrants from Romania and Russia (50-60,000 cases each) and migrants from Italy, Morocco, Pakistan, Poland and Ukraine (25-35,000 cases each). Ten studies reporting prevalence in migrants in Europe were identified; in seven of these estimates, prevalence was comparable with the country of birth prevalence and in three estimates it was lower. DISCUSSION: Migrants are disproportionately affected by CHC, account for a considerable number of CHC infections in EU/EEA countries, and are an important population for targeted case finding and treatment. Limited data suggest that country of birth prevalence can be used as a proxy for the prevalence in migrants.

Indexed as

AdultEuropeEuropean UnionHepatitis C, ChronicHumansItalyMoroccoPakistanPolandRomaniaRussiaTransients and MigrantsUkraineViremiaChronic viral hepatitisEpidemiologyEuropeHepatitis C virus (HCV)Migrants

Identifiers

PMID29338702
PMCPMC5771208

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.