{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,25]],"date-time":"2026-07-25T00:03:53Z","timestamp":1784937833014,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"SAGE Publications","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782864000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,1]],"date-time":"2026-07-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1782864000000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/page\/policies\/text-and-data-mining-license"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/100000061","name":"Fogarty International Center","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["D43 TW010543"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["D43 TW010543"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/100000061","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":["journals.sagepub.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Therapeutic Advances in Infection"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Viral hepatitis is a major cause of chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma, with significant morbidity and mortality. Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection due to frequent transfusions. Despite the high burden of HCV in Uganda, recent data on HCV seroprevalence among individuals with SCD are limited.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objective:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>To determine HCV seroprevalence and describe characteristics among patients with SCD receiving care at Mulago National Referral Hospital (MNRH), Kampala, Uganda.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Hospital-based cross-sectional study<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Individuals with SCD attending the MNRH outpatient SCD clinic in Kampala, Uganda, were recruited between July and September 2025. Sociodemographic, clinical, and behavioral data were collected using a structured questionnaire. Anthropometric measurements were taken using standardized scales. HCV, hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), and HIV rapid tests were performed. Data were analyzed using the SAS statistical package version 9.4.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      There were 119 participants with SCD enrolled, with a mean age of 13.1\u2009years, and 55.5% (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u200966) were male. Most participants had a SCD diagnosis for 6\u2009years or longer. HCV seroprevalence was 12.6% (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u200915). All HCV-seropositive participants were less than 18\u2009years, with nearly two-thirds of those aged 9\u201317\u2009years (66.7%,\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u200910). Nearly all HCV-seropositive participants had a history of blood transfusion (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u200914, 93.3%), with 53.3% (\n                      <jats:italic toggle=\"yes\">n<\/jats:italic>\n                      \u2009=\u20098) reporting three or more transfusions. Only one participant (0.84%) tested positive for HIV, and none tested positive for HBsAg.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion:<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study revealed a high seroprevalence of HCV among individuals with SCD in Uganda. Strengthening routine HCV screening, linkage to care, and infection prevention, including within blood transfusion services, is needed. Larger studies incorporating HCV RNA testing are recommended to assess the true burden of active infection and risk factors among patients with SCD to inform targeted prevention, screening, and treatment strategies.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1177\/20499361261467160","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T00:32:31Z","timestamp":1784680351000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/sage-journals-update-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Hepatitis C virus seroprevalence among people with sickle cell disease in Uganda: a cross-sectional study"],"prefix":"10.1177","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8837-1954","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Winnie","family":"Kibone","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, P. O. Box 166, Gulu, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Conrad","family":"Muzoora","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Mbarara, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4515-8517","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Felix","family":"Bongomin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine, Gulu Regional Referral Hospital, Gulu, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Amelia Margaret","family":"Namiiro","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Samuel","family":"Ssenkungu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"suffix":"II","given":"Sam J.","family":"Gebeh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Health, Boston University, School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA"},{"name":"Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Heavenlight A.","family":"Paulo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Health, Boston University, School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Philip","family":"Kasirye","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, School of Medicine, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Davidson H.","family":"Hamer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Global Health, Boston University, School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA"},{"name":"Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Boston University Chobanian &amp; Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA"},{"name":"Boston University, Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases, Boston, MA, USA"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"179","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_3_4_2_2","unstructured":"Global Hepatitis Report 2024: Action for access in low- and middle-income countries. 1st ed. 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