Hepatitis C Projects

The staff at the Center to Eliminate Health Disparities joined Dr. Miriam Alter, Director of the Infectious Disease Epidemiology Program in the Institute for Human Infections and Immunity (IHII), in a research project to learn more about the transmission of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) among the Hispanic population.

HCV causes a primary infection of the liver and is the most common chronic bloodborne infection in the United States, affecting 3-4 million persons. More than half of these people are not aware of their infection because they are not clinically ill and have not been tested. Recent studies indicate that Mexican American ethnicity was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of HCV infection, independent of conventional risk factors. These findings suggest that some risk factors for acquiring HCV infection among Mexican Americans may be different from those identified for non-Hispanic whites and blacks. Data gathered through focus groups and pilot audio-computer assisted self interviews indicated that therapeutic injections received in non-healthcare settings could be a potential source for exposure to contaminated blood among Hispanics, both U.S.- and foreign-born, and should be evaluated as a risk for HCV infection.

Dr. Alter seeks to identify screening criteria for detecting HCV-positive Hispanics. She also wants to demonstrate that effective risk-based screening programs can be routinely implemented in primary care settings to identify HCV-positive persons at risk for liver cancer. Lastly, Dr. Alter plans to evaluate HCV screening models for their ability to identify HCV-positive Hispanics before they develop liver cancer.

For more information about the study, please contact Dr. Miriam Alter at 409-747-0229.