Hepatitis C screening project planned to boost early detection

China is set to launch a hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening project to promote early detection and treatment of those at high risk of the life-threatening infection, such as gay men, intravenous drug users and dialysis patients.

Wei Lai, president of the Chinese Society of Liver Diseases of the Chinese Medical Association, spoke of the upcoming project on Friday at the 2013 Tsinghua-Janssen Public Health Day event.

A set of official standards for hepatitis C screening and management is likely to be issued at the end of June, he noted.

To improve hepatitis C intervention, the standards will clearly define details such as what groups are at high risk and how often should they undergo an HCV test.

According to Wei, who led the drafting of the standards, other vulnerable groups include anyone who has had a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992 and any one whose mother tested positive for hepatitis C.

Official estimations say that China has at least 10 million people who tested positive for hepatitis C on the mainland, though some experts said the number might be more than 40 million.

However, many don't know they have the disease given that the infection is often asymptomatic.

"The upcoming screening project will encourage better and more timely detection and treatment of the disease dubbed the 'silent killer,' which is on the rise on the mainland," Wei said.

The program will start first at 10 to 30 hospitals across the mainland, he added.

Last year, China reported 200,000 acute and chronic cases of hepatitis C on the mainland, while the figure stood at 170,000 in 2011, according to the national surveillance system conducted by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Caused by HCV, hepatitis C is an infectious disease affecting primarily the liver, and about 80 percent of those infected develop a chronic infection.

To date, no vaccine against the disease is available.

Most sufferers of the disease experience minimal or no symptoms, but chronic infection can lead to scarring of the liver and ultimately to cirrhosis, which is generally apparent after many years.

In some cases, those with cirrhosis develop life-threatening liver failure or liver cancer.

Worldwide, an estimated 130 million to 200 million people are infected with hepatitis C, according to the World Health Organization.

HCV is spread primarily by blood-to-blood contact associated with intravenous drug use, poorly sterilized medical equipment and transfusions.

In China, the number of annual cases is increasing, said Professor Zhuang Hui, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering.

Hospital infections among patients on dialysis treatment are particularly a concern, he pointed out.

"Without proper and timely medical attention, those infected are at great health risk and are a threat to public health," Hui said.

He warned hepatitis C can be contracted from unsafe piercing or injection, or from sharing a razor or toothbrush with an infected person.