What screening strategy identifies the most cases of chronic Hepatitis C infection?

What screening strategy identifies the most cases of chronic Hepatitis C infection?

• A. Annual hepatitis C testing for high-risk groups only
• B. One-time screening for all adults from 18 to 79 years
• C. Screening only those with liver enzyme abnormalities
• D. Universal vaccination for Hep C

Answer: (B)

Screening for hepatitis C aims to catch infections before symptoms appear, because most people with chronic infection feel fine and would not be identified by symptoms alone. A large number of cases are found in people who don’t have obvious risk factors, so relying only on risk-based testing misses many infections. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, so vaccination cannot serve as a screening strategy. The broad approach of testing all adults from 18 to 79 at least once maximizes case identification and allows timely treatment, which can cure most infections and prevent progression to serious liver disease.

Screening for hepatitis C aims to catch infections before symptoms appear, because most people with chronic infection feel fine and would not be identified by symptoms alone. A large number of cases are found in people who don’t have obvious risk factors, so relying only on risk-based testing misses many infections. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, so vaccination cannot serve as a screening strategy. The broad approach of testing all adults from 18 to 79 at least once maximizes case identification and allows timely treatment, which can cure most infections and prevent progression to serious liver disease.