Molecular epidemiology of a hepatitis C virus outbreak in a hemodialysis unit in Italy

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J Med Virol. 2008 Feb;80(2):261-7.

Molecular epidemiology of a hepatitis C virus outbreak in a hemodialysis unit in

Italy.

Spada E, Abbate I, Sicurezza E, no A, Parla V, Rinnone S, Cuccia M,

Capobianchi MR, Mele A.

Istituto Superiore di Sanità, National Centre of Epidemiology, Surveillance and

Health Promotion, Rome, Italy.

Hemodialysis patients are at increased risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV)

infection. The aim of this study was to investigate a HCV outbreak in a

hemodialysis unit using epidemiological and molecular methods. Between April

2003 and October 2003, anti-HCV seronconversion was detected in four patients

attending the unit. These cases were added to 10 patients already anti-HCV

positive upon admission in the unit. All 14 anti-HCV patients were tested for

HCV RNA and HCV genotype. NS5B and HVR1/ E2 genomic regions were amplified and

sequenced in all HCV RNA positive patients and phylogenetic analysis was

performed. Furthermore, clinical-epidemiological records obtained from all

patients were examined. All four patients newly infected harbored genotype 2c.

Genotype 2c was also detected in 2 of 10 patients already anti-HCV positive upon

admission. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all newly HCV infected patients

harbored very closely related viral isolates that clustered together with the 2c

isolate found in one of the two 2c chronic infected patients. All HCV-2c

infected patients had no other risk factors except hemodialysis. Three of four

newly HCV-2c infected patients and the one HCV-2c chronically infected involved

in the outbreak received dialysis on the same day and same shift but used

different machines. The remaining HCV-2c newly infected patient and one of the

above cited three received dialysis on the same day during different shifts but

used the same machine. The outbreak was probably due to breaks of infection

control procedures although a related-machine transmission cannot be excluded in

one of the cases. J. Med. Virol. 80:261-267, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 18098132 [PubMed - in process]

_________________________________________________________________

Share life as it happens with the new Windows Live.

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[Guest guest]

J Med Virol. 2008 Feb;80(2):261-7.

Molecular epidemiology of a hepatitis C virus outbreak in a hemodialysis unit in

Italy.

Spada E, Abbate I, Sicurezza E, no A, Parla V, Rinnone S, Cuccia M,

Capobianchi MR, Mele A.

Istituto Superiore di Sanità, National Centre of Epidemiology, Surveillance and

Health Promotion, Rome, Italy.

Hemodialysis patients are at increased risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV)

infection. The aim of this study was to investigate a HCV outbreak in a

hemodialysis unit using epidemiological and molecular methods. Between April

2003 and October 2003, anti-HCV seronconversion was detected in four patients

attending the unit. These cases were added to 10 patients already anti-HCV

positive upon admission in the unit. All 14 anti-HCV patients were tested for

HCV RNA and HCV genotype. NS5B and HVR1/ E2 genomic regions were amplified and

sequenced in all HCV RNA positive patients and phylogenetic analysis was

performed. Furthermore, clinical-epidemiological records obtained from all

patients were examined. All four patients newly infected harbored genotype 2c.

Genotype 2c was also detected in 2 of 10 patients already anti-HCV positive upon

admission. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all newly HCV infected patients

harbored very closely related viral isolates that clustered together with the 2c

isolate found in one of the two 2c chronic infected patients. All HCV-2c

infected patients had no other risk factors except hemodialysis. Three of four

newly HCV-2c infected patients and the one HCV-2c chronically infected involved

in the outbreak received dialysis on the same day and same shift but used

different machines. The remaining HCV-2c newly infected patient and one of the

above cited three received dialysis on the same day during different shifts but

used the same machine. The outbreak was probably due to breaks of infection

control procedures although a related-machine transmission cannot be excluded in

one of the cases. J. Med. Virol. 80:261-267, 2008. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

PMID: 18098132 [PubMed - in process]

_________________________________________________________________

Share life as it happens with the new Windows Live.

http://www.windowslive.com/share.html?ocid=TXT_TAGHM_Wave2_sharelife_122007