HEPATITIS C IN RUSSIA: CURRENT EPIDEMIOLOGY AND APPROACHES TO IMPROVING DIAGNOSIS AND SURVEILLANCE
The article presents the results of analysis of reported incidence of acute and chronic hepatitis С in Russian Federation. Detailed description of current epidemiological characteristics of acute and chronic hepatitis С in various Federal regions and in different age groups is provided. The authors discuss the most probable transmission routs of HCV and its genotype distribution in Russia. Critical problems of laboratory diagnosis and hepatitis С surveillance are reviewed. There is an urgent need for introduction of HCV RNA as a routine confirmatory test for acute and chronic hepatitis С as well as introduction of Viral Hepatitis Registry for HCV patients throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation.