Starting from Wednesday 19 June, all citizens residing in the ASL AL territory, born between 1969 and 1989, will be sent a message via SMS and a notification on the IO app: it is the invitation to join the screening campaign of hepatitis C (HCV) which the Piedmont Region is promoting to respond to a health problem which, due to the characteristics of the disease, can be underestimated and underestimated in the initial stages, and then become serious when the disease is in an advanced state. .
In fact, hepatitis C is a dangerous infection as it is silent in the initial stages, but can evolve into serious forms ranging from cirrhosis to liver cancer. Screening is very important because the majority of people with chronic hepatitis C do not present any symptoms and therefore, very often, the only way to detect it is through control tests such as the one proposed. Although difficult to identify, it is a simple disease to treat: antiviral therapy has existed for years for hepatitis C, which is also easy to take, safe and extremely effective.
Among the novelties of this campaign there is also the use by ASL AL of the notifications of the IO app, the public services app, which allows citizens to interact directly with the institutions and which many have come to know during the COVID19 pandemic. Anyone who has this app active on their mobile phone (and falls within the population groups targeted for screening) will receive a notification with all the information to book the test.
The sending of SMS and notifications will continue for the following weeks, but other communication and awareness-raising initiatives regarding the opportunity to carry out the test are planned by the ASL AL: from September, in fact, some open days will be organized throughout the province, promoted through campaigns on social networks, and personal invitation letters will also be sent to those who have not yet joined.
These are the access points where you can book the free test:
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Alessandria: until the end of July at the District
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Casale Monferrato: in the Hospital and in the District
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Acqui Terme: in the hospital and in the district
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Novi Ligure: in hospital
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Tortona: in hospital
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Ovada: in hospital
It is also possible to book the test by accessing the link on the Region’s website (option: Eliminate queues):
https://sansol.isan.csi.it/la-mia-salute/prenotazioni-visite-ed-esami/#/
For more information on the IO App: https://io.italia.it/
Learn more about free Hepatitis C (HCV) screening
Who is it aimed at?
The program is aimed at all citizens resident in Piedmont born between 1969 and 1989, including foreign citizens temporarily present. Thanks to screening, it will be possible to identify and provide the right therapies to all positive cases identified, allowing the disease to be prevented from evolving and contagion to other people.
Learn about hepatitis C
Hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the HCV virus of which six different genotypes and over 90 subtypes have been identified. It can be a short-term illness that heals spontaneously with the elimination of the virus. The incubation period varies from 2 weeks to 6 months. The acute infection is in most cases asymptomatic: approximately 70% of infected people do not know they are infected. About 30% of infected people spontaneously clear the virus without any treatment, while in about 70% of cases chronic disease develops. The onset of the disease is insidious and presents with anorexia, nausea, vomiting, fever, abdominal pain and jaundice: a fulminant fatal course is rarely observed, while a high percentage of cases become chronic.
It is in fact the most common cause of chronic liver disease and, if left untreated, the infection can be permanent. Its evolution can cause very serious health problems: 20-30% of patients develop liver cirrhosis within 10-20 years and, approximately 1-4% of cases, a subsequent hepatocarcinoma (liver cancer) .
The objectives of the screening program are:
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detect infections not yet diagnosed, improving the possibility of early diagnosis
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initiate patients on treatment to avoid the complications of advanced liver disease and extrahepatic manifestations
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interrupt the circulation of the virus preventing new infections
Access mode
Screening takes place on a voluntary and free basis, and can be carried out by performing a rapid capillary test with a fingerstick. With the first level tests, specific antibodies against the hepatitis C virus are searched for and subsequently, in case of positivity, a blood sample will be searched for the presence of the genetic material of the virus itself. In the event of a positive result from this second analysis, the user will be contacted directly by the local specialist reference center for care and to agree on the start of antiviral therapy. In the event of a negative outcome, the screening process is considered concluded.
Two screening methods are possible for the search for antibodies against the hepatitis C virus (HCV):
Both tests can be booked in the Queue Eliminator section of the website https://www.salutepiemonte.it/ by entering the tax code and health card number and, after confirming the patient’s identity, selecting the test code.
What the tests consist of:
1. Capillary blood sampling (code to select ELCODPUNG – ELIMINA CODE FINGER FINGER CAPILLARY TEST (HCV SCREENING)
The test consists of a capillary blood sample taken from the tip of a finger, with results available within approximately 20 minutes. In case of positivity, a blood test will be booked to confirm the presence of the virus (HCV-RNA). In case of presence of the virus in the blood, a visit will be booked with a specialist, who will follow the patient and recommend appropriate treatment. All these steps do not require a prescription and are free.
2. Venous blood sampling (code to select ELCODHCVREFLEX – ELIMINA CODE SCREENING HCV 1ST SAMPLE (HCV REFLEX)
The test consists of a venous blood sample to test for antiHCV antibodies. In case of presence of the virus in the blood, which confirms the diagnosis, a visit will be booked with a Specialist who will follow the patient and recommend appropriate treatment. Also in this case the steps do not require a medical prescription and are free.
The results of the blood tests will only be available on the Electronic Health Record (at the website https://www.salutepiemonte.it/)
Furthermore, it is possible to request for the target population of the screening (born 1969-1989), at the free access sampling points of the ASL AL, to perform a venous sampling for the search for antiHCV antibodies, also on the occasion of a sampling carried out for other reasons. Even with this method, in case of positivity, a test will be performed on the same blood sample to confirm the presence of the virus (detection for HCV-RNA). In case of presence of the virus in the blood, which confirms the diagnosis, a visit will be booked with a Specialist who will follow the patient and recommend appropriate treatment.
For further information on the infection, symptoms, course and therapy, you can consult this section of the Region’s website
https://www.regione.piemonte.it/web/temi/sanita/prevenzione/campagna-regionale-screening-dellpatitis-c
or contact the number 366.4309876, from Monday to Friday from 09.00 to 12.00 or write to the email screeninghcv@aslal.it .
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