{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,26]],"date-time":"2026-08-26T05:19:25Z","timestamp":1787721565054,"version":"build-2784847793"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"9","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1787529600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Gilead Sciences"},{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/02qacef07","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Viruses"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Emergency Department (ED) viral hepatitis screening programs typically report short-term outcomes. We evaluated the medium-term impact of an ED-based screening for Hepatitis C (HCV), Hepatitis B (HBV), and Hepatitis D (HDV) viruses. Methods: Prospective opportunistic screening conducted between January 2020 and December 2024 at a referral hospital in Barcelona. Adults attending the ED were screened for HBV, HCV, and HDV. Positive cases were evaluated and linked to care when appropriate. To assess screening impact, HCV RNA and HBsAg prevalences were compared between 2020\u20132021 and 2023\u20132024 among participants aged \u226480 years. Results: Over five years, 39,532 individuals were screened: 220 (0.56%) had detectable HCV RNA, 234 (0.59%) HBsAg, and 4 HDV RNA. Of 110 patients with detectable HCV RNA eligible for linkage, 84 (76%) were treated and cured. Among 135 HBV-positive individuals eligible for linkage, 116 (86%) attended outpatient follow-up. HCV RNA prevalence significantly decreased (0.58% vs. 0.35%, p = 0.005), whereas HBsAg prevalence did not vary (0.7% vs. 0.58%, p = 0.224). Conclusions: Sustained ED-based screening enabled the identification and linkage to care of several individuals with HBV and HCV. This strategy contributed to a reduction in HCV prevalence among ED attendees and supports opportunistic ED screening in viral hepatitis elimination goals.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/v18090928","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]],"date-time":"2026-08-24T14:49:34Z","timestamp":1787582974000},"page":"928","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Emergency Department-Based Screening and Linkage-to-Care for Hepatitis B, C, and D in a Referral Hospital in Barcelona, Spain: Reduction in Hepatitis C Prevalence After Five Years"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"18","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-2239-4939","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Juan Carlos","family":"Ruiz-Cobo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine Department, Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n Biom\u00e9dica en Red de Enfermedades Hep\u00e1ticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Vall d\u2019Hebron Institut de Investigaci\u00f3n, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jordi","family":"Llaneras","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Emergency Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4555-7286","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ariadna","family":"Rando-Segura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n Biom\u00e9dica en Red de Enfermedades Hep\u00e1ticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ana","family":"Barreira-D\u00edaz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9128-7013","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisco","family":"Rodr\u00edguez-Fr\u00edas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n Biom\u00e9dica en Red de Enfermedades Hep\u00e1ticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Microbiology Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"Biomedical Sciences Department, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, 08017 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0008-3531-9990","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Judit","family":"Romero-Vico","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Vall d\u2019Hebron Institut de Investigaci\u00f3n, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"Nursery Department, Universitat de Barcelona, 08007 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4213-3827","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Albert","family":"Blanco-Grau","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biochemistry Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0130-1302","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Adriana","family":"Palom","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n Biom\u00e9dica en Red de Enfermedades Hep\u00e1ticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Vall d\u2019Hebron Institut de Investigaci\u00f3n, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2521-0368","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Elena","family":"Vargas-Accarino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n Biom\u00e9dica en Red de Enfermedades Hep\u00e1ticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Vall d\u2019Hebron Institut de Investigaci\u00f3n, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8925-3172","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roser","family":"Ferrer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Biochemistry Department, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rafael","family":"Esteban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mar","family":"Riveiro-Barciela","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine Department, Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n Biom\u00e9dica en Red de Enfermedades Hep\u00e1ticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Vall d\u2019Hebron Institut de Investigaci\u00f3n, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0732-3078","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mar\u00eda","family":"Buti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medicine Department, Universitat Aut\u00f2noma de Barcelona, 08193 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"Liver Unit, Hospital Universitari Vall d\u2019Hebron, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"},{"name":"Centro de Investigaci\u00f3n Biom\u00e9dica en Red de Enfermedades Hep\u00e1ticas y Digestivas (CIBEREHD), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 28029 Madrid, Spain"},{"name":"Vall d\u2019Hebron Institut de Investigaci\u00f3n, 08035 Barcelona, Spain"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,24]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"WHO (2022). 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