{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2025,7,30]],"date-time":"2025-07-30T12:36:34Z","timestamp":1753878994375,"version":"3.41.2"},"reference-count":13,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,14]],"date-time":"2024-10-14T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1728864000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/termsAndConditions#vor"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000030","name":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000030","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Journal of Viral Hepatitis"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title><jats:p>Exposure to healthcare procedures might be a source of hepatitis C virus (HCV) transmission in Georgia, one of the few countries currently on track to eliminate hepatitis C. While there has been a history of iatrogenic transmission of HCV, the risk of HCV transmission related to endoscopic procedures has not been previously assessed in Georgia. The goal of this study was to assess HCV seroconversion among individuals undergoing endoscopic procedures to estimate the relative role and incidence of HCV infection attributable to endoscopic procedures. A prospective cohort study was conducted in four endoscopy units in two cities (Tbilisi and Kutaisi) of Georgia during April\u2013September, 2021. Recruitment of study participants was conducted using convenience sampling, and every eligible patient was approached and invited to participate in the study. Study population included adults (age\u2009\u2265\u200918\u2009years) who received an endoscopic procedure (gastroscopy, colonoscopy and bronchoscopy) in inpatient or outpatient unit at the study sites. HCV antibody (anti\u2010HCV) testing was conducted using rapid diagnostic test (RDT) on the same day they underwent the endoscopic procedure. Patients with a non\u2010reactive anti\u2010HCV baseline test were retested after 6\u2009months. Patients with reactive baseline tests were excluded from the study and linked to further testing and care. Participants with a reactive result on follow\u2010up RDTs were retested using a lab\u2010based anti\u2010HCV and HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA) test. A total of 981 HCV antibody non\u2010reactive participants were enrolled; 590 (64.8%) of them were reached and retested after 6\u2009months. At retesting, two out of 590 (0.3%) individuals had a reactive anti\u2010HCV result on RDT and both were negative on laboratory\u2010based anti\u2010HCV and HCV RNA tests. Based on the results of this study, endoscopic procedures were not shown to contribute to HCV transmission in Georgia.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1111\/jvh.14022","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,14]],"date-time":"2024-10-14T12:03:32Z","timestamp":1728907412000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Evaluation of Hepatitis C Virus Transmission Through Endoscopy Procedures in the Country of Georgia"],"prefix":"10.1111","volume":"32","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8390-3325","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Davit","family":"Baliashvili","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"The Task Force for Global Health  Tbilisi Georgia"},{"name":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Georgia Country Office  Tbilisi Georgia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Tsira","family":"Merabishvili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Center for Disease Control and Public Health  Tbilisi Georgia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Irina","family":"Tskhomelidze","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Task Force for Global Health  Tbilisi Georgia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maia","family":"Tsereteli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Center for Disease Control and Public Health  Tbilisi Georgia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Lika","family":"Karichashvili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Center for Disease Control and Public Health  Tbilisi Georgia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nazi","family":"Chitadze","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Center for Disease Control and Public Health  Tbilisi Georgia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Paige A.","family":"Armstrong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centers for Disease Control and Prevention  Atlanta Georgia USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Maia","family":"Butsashvili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Health Research Union  Tbilisi Georgia"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,14]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_7_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.15585\/mmwr.mm6428a2"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_3_1","unstructured":"Georgia Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories Labour Health and Social Affairs \u201cStrategic Plan for the Elimination of Hepatitis C Virus in Georgia 2016\u20132020 \u201d2017 https:\/\/www.moh.gov.ge\/uploads\/files\/2017\/akordeoni\/failebi\/Georgia_HCV_Elimination_Strategy_2016\u20102020.pdf."},{"volume-title":"Guidance for Country Validation of Viral Hepatitis Elimination and Path to Elimination: Technical Report","year":"2023","author":"World Health Organization","key":"e_1_2_7_4_1"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889\u2010019\u20106784\u20103"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_6_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jiad064"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2807\/1560\u20107917.es.2023.28.30.2200952"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0262935"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_9_1","unstructured":"G. B. M.Kanchelashvili T. M.Galdavadze S.Shadaker et\u00a0al. \u201cIdentifying Risk Factors for HCV Transmission in the Country of Georgia: A Case\u2010Control Study \u201d2022Presented at: International Viral Hepatitis Elimination Meeting Amsterdam."},{"key":"e_1_2_7_10_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/trf.15815"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jhin.2005.10.014"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1111\/trf.14416"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/infdis\/jiaa389"},{"key":"e_1_2_7_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0243040"}],"container-title":["Journal of Viral Hepatitis"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1111\/jvh.14022","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,11]],"date-time":"2025-04-11T06:50:58Z","timestamp":1744354258000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1111\/jvh.14022"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,14]]},"references-count":13,"journal-issue":{"issue":"4","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,4]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1111\/jvh.14022"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1111\/jvh.14022","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["1352-0504","1365-2893"],"issn-type":[{"type":"print","value":"1352-0504"},{"type":"electronic","value":"1365-2893"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,10,14]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2024-07-11","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2024-09-26","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2024-10-14","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e14022"}}