{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,12]],"date-time":"2026-10-12T23:12:53Z","timestamp":1791846773185,"version":"4.3.4"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"8","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,18]],"date-time":"2024-08-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1723939200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"European Social Fund, Operational Programme Human Capital 2014\u20132020","award":["POCU\/755\/4\/9\/136208"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCU\/755\/4\/9\/136208"]}]},{"name":"European Social Fund, Operational Programme Human Capital 2014\u20132020","award":["POCU\/755\/4\/9\/136209"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCU\/755\/4\/9\/136209"]}]},{"name":"European Social Fund, Operational Programme Human Capital 2014\u20132020","award":["MySMIS 317713"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MySMIS 317713"]}]},{"name":"Project LIVE(RO)3 \u201cPlan Strategic Integrat: Dezvoltare, Monitorizare \u0219i Control al Calit\u0103\u021bii \u00een Screeningul Bolilor Hepatice Cronice\u201d","award":["POCU\/755\/4\/9\/136208"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCU\/755\/4\/9\/136208"]}]},{"name":"Project LIVE(RO)3 \u201cPlan Strategic Integrat: Dezvoltare, Monitorizare \u0219i Control al Calit\u0103\u021bii \u00een Screeningul Bolilor Hepatice Cronice\u201d","award":["POCU\/755\/4\/9\/136209"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["POCU\/755\/4\/9\/136209"]}]},{"name":"Project LIVE(RO)3 \u201cPlan Strategic Integrat: Dezvoltare, Monitorizare \u0219i Control al Calit\u0103\u021bii \u00een Screeningul Bolilor Hepatice Cronice\u201d","award":["MySMIS 317713"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["MySMIS 317713"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) remains a major global health challenge, with significant morbidity and mortality associated with chronic infections. Methods: This study examines the epidemiology, screening, and risk factors associated with HBV in Romania, focusing on a comprehensive national screening program, LIVE(RO)2, involving 320,000 individuals (majority of them considered vulnerable population). A questionnaire was used to collect information on the potential risk factors for HBV transmission. Results: The overall prevalence rate of HBV chronic infection among all the participants tested was 1.67% (confidence interval: 1.63\u20131.72%), with significant differences (p = 0.0001) between participants from the main geographical regions of residence (North-East 1.89%, South 1.38%, South-East 2.06%, and South-West 1.54%). Male persons aged 30\u201349 or 60\u201369 years old, from the rural and Eastern parts of Romania and non-Romanian ethnia, with a low level of education, unvaccinated, not married, unemployed, with family members with hepatitis, with personal histories of blood or blood product transfusion, surgical interventions, tattooing, hospitalizations, imprisonment, haemodialysis, unsafe sexual contacts, or with sexual transmitted infectious diseases were risk factors associated with HBsAg seropositivity. Conclusions: Our findings highlight significant demographic and epidemiological patterns of reduced HBV prevalence even in vulnerable persons, as well as modified risk factors and the impact of socio-economic factors.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v16081318","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,19]],"date-time":"2024-08-19T03:43:28Z","timestamp":1724039008000},"page":"1318","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["Hepatitis B Prevalence and Referral Rates in Vulnerable Populations Undergoing Community-Based Screening\u2014Results from the LIVE(RO)2 Program"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7805-5920","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Speranta","family":"Iacob","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Irma","family":"Csiki","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8545-310X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Razvan","family":"Iacob","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mihaela","family":"Ghioca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5828-2694","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ileana","family":"Constantinescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Bogdan","family":"Chiper","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"University of Economic Studies, 70167 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Laura","family":"Huiban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"St. Spiridon Emergency Hospital, 700111 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0891-5961","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Cristina","family":"Muzica","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"St. Spiridon Emergency Hospital, 700111 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5925-1232","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Irina","family":"Girleanu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"St. Spiridon Emergency Hospital, 700111 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicoleta","family":"Tiuca","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine II and Gastroenterology, University Emergency Hospital, 050098 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sorina","family":"Diaconu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine II and Gastroenterology, University Emergency Hospital, 050098 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7696-3733","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Larisa","family":"Sandulescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Research Center of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 200349 Craiova, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Emergency County Hospital, 200642 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3385-098X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ion","family":"Rogoveanu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 200349 Craiova, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Cardiology, Emergency County Hospital, 200642 Craiova, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Florentina","family":"Furtunescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Public Health and Management, National Institute of Public Health, 050463 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Corina","family":"Pop","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"\u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Internal Medicine II and Gastroenterology, University Emergency Hospital, 050098 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9144-5520","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anca","family":"Trifan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Gastroenterology, Grigore T. Popa University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 700115 Iasi, Romania"},{"name":"St. Spiridon Emergency Hospital, 700111 Iasi, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Liana","family":"Gheorghe","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Fundeni Clinical Institute, 022328 Bucharest, Romania"},{"name":"\u201cCarol Davila\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"524","DOI":"10.1038\/s41575-023-00760-9","article-title":"Global burden of hepatitis B virus: Current status, missed opportunities and a call for action","volume":"20","author":"Hsu","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nat. Rev. Gastroenterol. Hepatol."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"GBD 2019 Europe Hepatitis B & C Collaborators (2023). 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