Hepatitis C virus transmission between eight high-income countries among men who have sex with men: a whole-genome analysis
The Lancet Microbe·
- DOI
- 10.1016/s2666-5247(23)00108-8
- PMID
- 37336226
- PMCID
- —
- OpenAlex
- W4381089832
- Study type
- Genomic study
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Article type
- journal-article
- Integrity
- current
Why this research matters now
Ongoing cross-national viral circulation persists despite broad antiviral accessibility, potentially obstructing localized reduction initiatives. Coordinated multinational intervention frameworks appear essential to manage persistent transmission routes.
Structured evidence summary
Research question
The investigation sought to evaluate international viral clustering patterns and quantify the presence and spread of resistance-associated genetic markers among recently infected men who have sex with men across multiple nations.
Study design
Researchers conducted a genomic analysis utilizing whole-genome sequencing alongside maximum-likelihood phylogenetic reconstruction and time-scaled evolutionary modeling to map transmission networks and estimate historical viral population trends.
Population and setting
The analytical cohort included one hundred twenty-eight men who have sex with men diagnosed with hepatitis C within the preceding year, recruited through twenty-four clinical locations distributed across eight affluent countries.
Main findings
Recent infections predominantly aligned with global transmission networks established during the late nineteen nineties and early two thousands. More than a third of newly formed viral groups exhibited cross-border movement, while European participants demonstrated substantially higher clustering probabilities compared to non-European peers. Assessed resistance markers remained insufficient to compromise current eradication targets.
Public-health relevance
Ongoing cross-national viral circulation persists despite broad antiviral accessibility, potentially obstructing localized reduction initiatives. Coordinated multinational intervention frameworks appear essential to manage persistent transmission routes.
Important limitations
This evaluation depends entirely on the provided abstract and metadata, requiring examination of the complete manuscript for thorough methodological scrutiny and decision-grade interpretation.
GIDS interpretation
The article advances genomic epidemiology research by detailing transnational viral circulation trajectories and resistance marker distribution within a defined demographic. Its emphasis on phylogenetic mapping and international network characterization supplies contextual background for understanding historical and contemporary transmission architectures.
Related GIDS surveillance
Literature context does not validate, explain, or change a surveillance signal. Exact and contextual relationships are shown separately.
Evidence relationships
This article has 11 auditable classifier relationships to diseases, places, topics, and study design.