Risk factors for HCV infection in Georgia: A case-control study

Maia Butsashvili; Giorgi Kanchelashvili; Ketevan Galdavadze; Maia Tsereteli; Davit Baliashvili; Senad Handanagic; Paige A Armstrong; Shaun Shadaker; George Kamkamidze

doi:10.3855/jidc.20658

Risk factors for HCV infection in Georgia: A case-control study

Authors

Maia Butsashvili Health Research Union, Tbilisi, Georgia
Giorgi Kanchelashvili Health Research Union, Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7116-6142
Ketevan Galdavadze National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2099-7854
Maia Tsereteli National Center for Disease Control and Public Health, Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9736-0357
Davit Baliashvili The Task Force for Global Health, Tbilisi, Georgia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8390-3325
Senad Handanagic Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8212-1153
Paige A Armstrong Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
Shaun Shadaker Division of Viral Hepatitis, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5772-7046
George Kamkamidze Health Research Union, Tbilisi, Georgia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3855/jidc.20658

Keywords:

Hepatitis C, HCV transmission, injection drug use, invasive medical procedures, Georgia

Abstract

Introduction: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of chronic liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. Prior studies in Georgia identified risk factors such as injection drug use (IDU), tattoos, dental cleanings, medical injections, and blood transfusion. This study explored risk factors associated with HCV seroconversion in Georgia.

Methodology: A case-control study was conducted among adults aged ≥ 18 years. A total of 299 Cases (persons who seroconverted after ≥ 2 screenings) and 436 controls (persons with ≥ 2 negative anti-HCV test results dated 90 to 364 days apart) were randomly selected from the national HCV screening database from January 2019 to November 2020. Data were collected through telephone interviews and analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression.

Result: Among 206/299 (68.9%) cases and 229/436 (52.5%) controls who agreed to participate, 53.8% were female and 60.5% were aged > 40 years. After adjusting for covariates, independent predictors of HCV seroconversion were age > 40 years (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 2.47, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.52-4.01), male sex (aOR = 2.12, 95% CI: 1.34-3.34), IDU (aOR = 26.24, 95% CI: 3.27-210.43), history of invasive medical procedure (aOR = 3.19, 95% CI: 1.96-5.19), ≥ 24 hours of hospitalization (aOR = 2.01, 95% CI: 1.12-3.59), and occupational performance of any invasive medical procedure (aOR = 2.70, 95% CI: 1.12-6.53).

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that HCV seroconversions in Georgia are associated with IDU, hospitalization, and invasive medical procedures. These identified risk factors provide opportunities to further improve the prevention of HCV infection in Georgia.

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Published

2025-05-31

How to Cite

Butsashvili M, Kanchelashvili G, Galdavadze K, Tsereteli M, Baliashvili D, Handanagic S, Armstrong PA, Shadaker S, Kamkamidze G (2025) Risk factors for HCV infection in Georgia: A case-control study. J Infect Dev Ctries 19:792–796. doi: 10.3855/jidc.20658

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Issue

Vol. 19 No. 05: May 2025

Section

Original Articles

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