Community screening for hepatitis C virus infection in a low-prevalence population.

Background: Age cohort screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) might be an effective strategy if the majority of undiagnosed cases are concentrated in a particular age group. The objective of this study was to determine HCV prevalence in different age cohorts of the general population in the Central European part of Russia and second, to assess feasibility of HCV antigen testing for community screening programs.

Methods: Sera from 2027 volunteers were tested for anti-HCV (Architect Anti-HCV, Abbott Laboratories).