WESTPORT CT-Patients infected with both HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) often have significant amounts of HCV in their saliva.
This discovery is important because up to 40% of hepatitis C patients do not know the origin of their infection.
D. Rey, MD, from Hopitaux Universitaires in Strasbourg, France, said one third of patients had detectable levels of HCV RNA in their saliva with a mean level of 1.15 million genome equivalents per milliliter. Immune status and HIV risk group had no bearing on salivary positivity. However, a greater proportion of men than women had detectable levels of HCV RNA in their saliva.
There was no correlation between quantitative saliva and serum results. Qualitative results did show a significant direct association.
HCV is spread through contact of blood from an infected person.
Information from www.hivandhepatits.com, www.cdc.gov
“A Coup Against Science”: Health Groups Decry Kennedy’s Firing of National Vaccine Advisory Panel
June 12th 2025Health leaders are outraged after HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly fired all 17 members of the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel, calling it a political purge that threatens public trust and vaccine safety.
AHE Exchange Summit 2025 Brings EVS and Infection Prevention Experts Together in Columbus, Ohio
June 9th 2025The Association for the Health Care Environment (AHE) is set to host its largest event of the year—Exchange Summit 2025—from June 8 to 11 in Columbus, Ohio. With over 600 environmental services (EVS) professionals expected to attend, this year’s conference focuses heavily on infection prevention, interdepartmental collaboration, and education that empowers frontline health care support leaders to improve patient safety and operational efficiency.