<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><xml><records><record><source-app name="Biblio" version="7.x">Drupal-Biblio</source-app><ref-type>17</ref-type><contributors><authors><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Gaetan Muyldermans</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">R Bielen</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">R Botterman</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">S Bourgeois</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">I Colle</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">B Deressa</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">G Devolder</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Y Horsmans</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Veronik Hutse</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">N Lanthier</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">L Lasser</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">S Platteau</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">G Robaeys</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Vanessa Suin</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">X Verhelst</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">H Van Vlierbergh</style></author><author><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">L Van Baelen</style></author></authors></contributors><titles><title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence estimation in the adult general population in Belgium : a meta-analysis.</style></title><secondary-title><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Acta Gastroenterol Belg</style></secondary-title></titles><keywords><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Belgium</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hepacivirus</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Hepatitis C</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Humans</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Mass Screening</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">prevalence</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Seroepidemiologic Studies</style></keyword><keyword><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">Viremia</style></keyword></keywords><dates><year><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2019</style></year><pub-dates><date><style  face="normal" font="default" size="100%">2019 Oct-Dec</style></date></pub-dates></dates><volume><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">82</style></volume><language><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">eng</style></language><abstract><style face="normal" font="default" size="100%">&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: &lt;/b&gt;Although multiple HCV prevalence studies were recently performed in the general population from Belgium, they suffer from a lack of geographical representativeness, an insufficient number of participants or a lack of inclusion of high prevalence groups. The aim of this study is to provide robust information on the HCV burden.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;METHODS: &lt;/b&gt;Recently performed HCV prevalence studies in the general, adult population were included in this study, based on well-defined selection criteria. A meta-analysis was performed to estimate the seroprevalence, the prevalence of participants with viremia and the prevalence estimation for people with viremia which were unaware of their status.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;RESULTS: &lt;/b&gt;Eight studies fulfilled the criteria for inclusion of the quantitative prevalence estimation. Based on the meta-analysis on these 8 studies, we estimated an HCV seroprevalence of 1.01% [95% CI : 0.66-1.42%], representing a total of 90,722 adult, HCV seropositives of which 64,412 individuals (0.71%) were confirmed seropositive. Based on the RNA presence, an estimated viremic prevalence of 0.33% [95% CI : 0.21-0.47 %] was determined, corresponding with 29,642 individuals. This is 46,0% of the true HCV seropositive residents. Further, based on the availability of patient information in 5 out of the 8 studies, a prevalence of 0.18% [95% CI : 0.07-0.33] representing 16,168 individuals from the adult Belgian population are unaware of their HCV status.&lt;/p&gt;

&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;CONCLUSIONS: &lt;/b&gt;We believe that the quantitative measurement by the meta-analysis will be more reliable for their use in the design of a screening strategy or in the development of prevention campaigns as compared to the prevalence estimations performed at local level.&lt;/p&gt;
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