Missed Opportunities: A Retrospective Study of Hepatitis C Testing in Hospital Inpatients.

Increasing testing is key to achieving hepatitis C elimination. This retrospective study aimed to assess the testing cascade of patients at a regional hospital in Victoria, Australia, who inject drugs or are living with hepatitis C, to identify missed opportunities for hepatitis C care. Adult hospital inpatients and emergency department (ED) attendees from 2018 to 2021 with indications for intravenous drug use (IDU) or hepatitis C on their discharge or ED summary were included.

Trait Loss in Evolution: What Cavefish Have Taught Us about Mechanisms Underlying Eye Regression.

Reduction or complete loss of traits is a common occurrence throughout evolutionary history. In spite of this, numerous questions remain about why and how trait loss has occurred. Cave animals are an excellent system in which these questions can be answered, as multiple traits, including eyes and pigmentation, have been repeatedly reduced or lost across populations of cave species.

Leave No-One Behind: A Retrospective Study of Hepatitis C Testing and Linkage to Care for Hospital Inpatients.

Hospital admissions are a missed opportunity to engage people living with hepatitis C virus (HCV) into care. This study aimed to describe the proportion of hospital inpatients and emergency department (ED) patients identified with hepatitis C who were subsequently linked to care and treatment at a metropolitan health service in Melbourne, Australia. Data were collected retrospectively from hospital databases (admissions, notifiable diseases, and pharmacy) for all adults admitted or attending the ED with separation coding indicating hepatitis C infection from March 2016 to March 2019.

Area-level social and economic factors and the local incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Victoria during 2020.

Objective: To examine associations between area-level socio-economic factors and the incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections in Victoria during 2020.

Design, Setting: Population-level ecological study of the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Victoria, by postcode, 1 March - 13 August 2020.

Main Outcome Measures: Relationships between the incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infections by postcode (Department of Health and Human Services data published on The Age website), and demographic, education level, ethnic background, economic and employment-related factors, housing-related factors, and social disadvantage (Australian Bureau of Statistics data for 2014-19), expressed as incidence rate ratios (IRRs).

A multi-site, nurse-coordinated hepatitis C model of care in primary care and community services in Melbourne, Australia.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment through primary care and community-based services will be a critical component of HCV elimination. We evaluated a nurse-coordinated programme providing care across eight sites and analysed progression through the HCV care cascade.

Methods: People-accessing services from six primary care clinics, a homeless crisis accommodation provider and a mental health service were directly referred to nurses or engaged by nurses during regular clinic visits.

Efficacy and Safety of Sofosbuvir/Velpatasvir/Voxilaprevir for Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) NS5A-Inhibitor Experienced Patients With Difficult to Cure Characteristics.

Background: In clinical trials, hepatitis C virus (HCV) salvage treatment with sofosbuvir/velpatasvir/voxilaprevir (SOF/VEL/VOX) achieved an SVR12 rate of >95% in NS5A-experienced participants. Lower SVR12 rates have been reported in real-world studies, particularly for genotype (GT)3 infection and cirrhosis. We determined the efficacy and safety of SOF/VEL/VOX in a large real-world cohort.

Australia needs to increase testing to achieve hepatitis C elimination.

Objectives: To assess progress in Australia toward the 2030 WHO hepatitis C elimination targets two years after the introduction of highly effective direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatments.

Design: Analysis of quarterly data on government-subsidised hepatitis C RNA testing and hepatitis C treatment in Australia, January 2013 - June 2018. Changes in testing and treatment levels associated with DAA availability were assessed in an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) statistical model, and the impact by 2030 of different levels of testing and treatment were estimated using a mathematical model.

A cost-effectiveness analysis of primary versus hospital-based specialist care for direct acting antiviral hepatitis C treatment.

Background: Hepatitis C virus elimination may be possible by scaling up direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment. Due to the safety and simplicity of DAA treatment, primary care-based treatment delivery is now feasible, efficacious and may be cheaper than hospital-based specialist care. In this paper, we use Prime Study data - a randomised controlled trial comparing the uptake of DAA treatment between primary and hospital-based care settings amongst people who inject drugs (PWID) - to estimate the cost of initiating treatment for PWID diagnosed with hepatitis C in primary care compared to hospital-based care.

Outcomes of Treatment for Hepatitis C in Primary Care, Compared to Hospital-based Care: A Randomized, Controlled Trial in People Who Inject Drugs.

Background: To achieve the World Health Organization hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination targets, it is essential to increase access to direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), especially among people who inject drugs (PWID). We aimed to determine the effectiveness of providing DAAs in primary care, compared with hospital-based specialist care.

Methods: We randomized PWID with HCV attending primary care sites in Australia or New Zealand to receive DAAs at their primary care site or local hospital (standard of care [SOC]).

Health issues of refugees attending an infectious disease refugee health clinic in a regional Australian hospital.

Background And Objectives: Refugees in Australia present with conditions different to those of the general population. The aim of this study was to review the reasons for referral, prevalence of conditions and treatment outcomes for refugee patients attending a specialist referral clinic in regional Victoria.

Method: A retrospective review was undertaken of patients attending the refugee health clinic at University Hospital Geelong from January 2007 to December 2012.

A systematic review of community based hepatitis C treatment.

Background: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment uptake globally is low. A barrier to treatment is the necessity to attend specialists, usually in a tertiary hospital. We investigate the literature to assess the effect of providing HCV treatment in the community on treatment uptake and cure.

The Cascade of Care for an Australian Community-Based Hepatitis C Treatment Service.

Background: Hepatitis C treatment uptake in Australia is low. To increase access to hepatitis C virus treatment for people who inject drugs, we developed a community-based, nurse-led service that linked a viral hepatitis service in a tertiary hospital to primary care clinics, and resulted in hepatitis C treatment provision in the community.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study of patients referred to the community hepatitis service was undertaken to determine the cascade of care.

Chlamydia trachomatis prevalence in heterosexual men in Melbourne: a community-based study.

There is limited information about chlamydia prevalence in men. Our study aimed to measure the prevalence of chlamydia in 16-29-year-old heterosexual men. Recruitment was undertaken through urban sporting clubs.

Q fever outbreak at a cosmetics supply factory.

Q fever is a zoonotic disease that is most commonly associated with outbreaks in slaughterhouses. We describe an outbreak of 4 cases occurring in a factory that processes ovine fetal products for the cosmetics industry. It is important that industries typically not associated with risk of Q fever are made aware of potential health risks that workers might be exposed to so further outbreaks might be prevented.