Using automated extraction of hepatitis B tests for surveillance: evidence of decreasing incidence of acute hepatitis B in England.

Surveillance of acute hepatitis B in England is necessary to estimate incidence, determine routes of transmission and inform public health actions. Here we describe an automated process to extract information on testing for markers of hepatitis B infection in English sentinel laboratories between 2002 and 2008. The resulting data were used to identify individuals with acute infections, describe their characteristics and estimate the incidence of infection.

Monitoring HIV testing in diverse healthcare settings: results from a sentinel surveillance pilot study.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility and utility of sentinel laboratory surveillance of HIV testing as a tool for understanding patterns and trends in HIV testing in a range of healthcare services.

Methods: Data on all anti-HIV antibody tests carried out by the Leeds Teaching Hospital Trust laboratory over a 12-month period were collated and analysed by demographic information and place of test. Individuals who tested positive were matched to the national database of HIV diagnoses to identify the proportion newly diagnosed with HIV.

Planning for the healthcare burden of hepatitis C infection: Hepatitis C genotypes identified in England, 2002-2007.

Background: Identification of HCV genotype is a prerequisite for anti-viral treatment in England. Treatment length and sustained virological response rates vary by genotype. Therefore knowledge of circulating HCV genotypes is important for health-care providers.

Hepatitis C testing in sexual health services in England, 2002-7: results from sentinel surveillance.

Objectives: To describe testing for hepatitis C virus (HCV) in sexual health services in England between 2002 and 2007, using data from a sentinel surveillance study of hepatitis testing.

Methods: Data on all anti-HCV tests carried out between 2002 and 2007 were collected from 20 participating laboratories. Test requests originating in sexual health services were identified, allowing analysis of the demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals tested in this setting.

Where are people being tested for anti-HCV in England? Results from sentinel laboratory surveillance.

Many people infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) are unaware of their infection and are, therefore. potentially infectious to others. To enable effective case-finding policies to be developed, an understanding of where people, and injecting drug users (IDUs) in particular, are accessing HCV antibody testing is needed.