Determining hepatitis C virus incidence in populations: An important tool of epidemic control (editorial)

There are an estimated 130–150 million people living with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection worldwide. Traditional methods of incidence determination are complex and expensive, involving long-term, prospective follow-up of cohorts of HCV-negative persons. This editorial reviews the data of a multiassay algorithm for estimating the incidence of HCV infection; modeled after algorithms to determine HIV infection incidence from cross-sectional surveys. The authors present evidence that reinforces the need for improved HCV infection incidence estimates to assess progress made as increased investments are made in treatment and prevention programs.