Background. Data on the true prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in the general population is essential to health policies. We evaluated a program implementing free universal HCV screening using a non-invasive point-of-care test (POCT) (OraQuick-HCV rapid test) in oral fluid in an urban area in Valencia, South-Eastern Spain. 

Methods. A cross-sectional study was performed during 2015-2017. Free HCV screening was offered by regular mail to 11,500 individuals aged 18 and over, randomly selected from all census residents in the Health Department. All responding participants filled in a questionnaire about HCV infection risk factors and were tested in their tertiary Hospital. In those with a positive POCT, results were confirmed by enzyme-immunoassay and HCV-RNA.

Results. 1,206 persons agreed to participate (response rate: 11.16%). HCV antibodies were detected in 19 (1.60%) cases (age-sex standardized rate: 1.31%; 95%CI: 0.82-2.07), but only 8 showed positive HCV-RNA (age-sex standardized rate: 0.56%; 95%CI: 0.28-1.14). The majority (89%) of the cases were born before 1965 and 74% had at least one known risk factor for HCV infection. All anti-HCV positive individuals were already aware of their infection, and no undiagnosed cases were detected. The performance of the POCT was excellent for detecting active infection. 

Conclusions. These preliminary data suggest that HCV population screening with a POCT is feasible but, in our setting, mailing recruiting is not effective (11% response rate). The low prevalence of HCV antibodies and active infection in the participant population (with no new diagnoses made) suggests that, in our setting, underdiagnosis may be uncommon.

Files uploaded include the study database (Stata  v.13) and the do.file of the study.

Data was collected from a cross-sectional universal screening study in the general adult population of a Healthcare Department in Valencia (Spain), from September 2015 to October 2017 using the OraQuick anti-HCV rapid test followed, if positive, by gold standard immunoassay (CIA) and characterized HCV positive cases including patient and virus characteristics.

The target population was composed of all individuals aged 18 and over covered by the Valencia Public Healthcare System in a Healthcare Department.

The analysis was made using STATA V.13 software.

Data are in STATA v12 format, anonymized, labeled with description of variables values.

Include 1206 cases and there are some missing data in some variables