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The micro-elimination of HCV infection in drug users (DU) in our area is a priority in order to achieve the overall elimination of this disease. Coordinated action between specialists in addiction treatment, microbiologists and physicians who treat HCV infection is required to implement infection screening, to achieve universal access to treatment and to prevent new infections and reinfections. The objective of this document was to come to a consensus on the screening, hospital referral, treatment, follow-up and prevention of HCV infection in DU by an expert panel from GEHEP/SEIMC and three scientific societies of addiction treating physicians: SEPD, SOCIDROGALCOHOL and SOMAPA., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.)

The Spanish Association for the Study of the Liver (AEEH) is convinced that the elimination of hepatitisC virus (HCV) in Spain is possible as long as we are able to use the resources and tools necessary for it. This document reflects the position of the AEEH regarding the elimination of HCV, establishing a wide range of recommendations that can be grouped into five categories: 1)Screening of HCV according to age, of the existence of classic acquisition risk factors of infection, active search of previously diagnosed patients and development of micro-elimination strategies in vulnerable populations; 2)Simplification of HCV diagnosis (one-step diagnosis and diagnosis at the point of patient care); 3)Simplification of patient treatment and improvement of care circuits; 4)Health policy measures, and, finally, 5)Establishment of HCV elimination indicators., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: In the interferon era, the treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in patients on haemodialysis (HD) was limited due to the significant number of treatment-related adverse events (AEs). Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) have demonstrated their efficacy and safety in the treatment of HCV in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease on haemodialysis. The objective of the study was to evaluate the success in eliminating HCV infection from our dialysis unit using DAAs, and to assess the impact of HCV elimination on clinical and analytical outcomes., Patients and Methods: This is a prospective, interventional, single-center study at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona. All HCV-RNA positive patients who received antiviral therapy with DAAs within a 3-year period (2014-2017) were analyzed (n=20). Data on virologic response, adverse events, and biochemical and hematological parameters during and after DAA therapy were analyzed., Results: All patients achieved sustained virologic response (SVR) and only 40% of patients presented with mild AEs. None of the patients presented with HCV reinfection after a 1-year follow-up period, and thus HCV was eliminated from our HD unit. SVR was associated with a significant increase in hemoglobin and hematocrit, and a tendency toward the need for lower doses of iron supplementation with no changes in darbepoetin dose., Conclusion: HCV infection can be safely eliminated from HD units with the use of DAAs, preventing new infections in patients and healthcare staff. In the short term, the achievement of SVR is associated with an improvement in the control of anemia., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: During the final phase of measles elimination rigorous investigation of each individual case becomes fundamental to confirm or discard cases, particularly among vaccinated people, since they experience a milder disease, and laboratory diagnosis is more complex. Our study focused in the epidemiology of measles in vaccinated people., Methods: Longitudinal study on measles cases in two dose vaccinated people in Spain from 2003 to 2014., Results: We confirmed 138 measles cases (90 of them, laboratory confirmed) in people with two doses of vaccine. The median of time from last vaccination to rash onset showed a lineal trend (P<.001), in parallel with the number of doses of vaccine received (0, 1, 2 doses). Among confirmed cases, the hospitalization risk decreased inversely proportional to the number of administered vaccine doses (linear trend, P<.001). Only in 23.9% of confirmed cases and 50% of discarded cases the guidelines about sample taking were fulfilled. 50% of samples in two dose vaccinated people were taken without fulfilling time delay criteria. 16.7% (36/215) of discarded cases with a negative IgM result did correspond to samples taken early (first 72h after rash) and could represent false negatives., Conclusion: Our results highlight the importance of fulfilling properly the guidelines for laboratory diagnosis in order to confirm or discard every measles case, especially in two dose vaccinated people. When a negative IgM result is obtained in early samples a new IgM test should be practiced, as well as a PCR test, in order to avoid infra-detection of cases., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier España, S.L.U. and Sociedad Española de Enfermedades Infecciosas y Microbiología Clínica. All rights reserved.)