Virology Journal | Abstract | Hepatitis C virus-specific cellular immune responses in individuals with no evidence of infection

Via Scoop.it – Virology News

The detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV)-specific T cell responses in HCV-uninfected, presumably unexposed, subjects could be due to an underestimation of the frequency of spontaneously resolving infections, as most acute HCV infections are clinically silent.

Overall, 20% of presumably HCV-uninfected subject tested had detectable T-cell responses to the virus, a rate much higher than previous estimates of HCV prevalence in developed countries. This result would be consistent with unapparent primary HCV infections that either cleared spontaneously or remained undetected by conventional serological assays.

 

Interesting stuff – because undetected HCV infections have important corollaries, like increased incidence of transmission.

Image of HCV particles courtesy Russell Kightley Media

Via www.virologyj.com