Expert Consensus Conference: The screening for hepatitis C virus infection in adults in Italy, May 5–6, 2005

A Consensus Conference was convened by the Italian National Institute of Health on May 5–6, 2005, to address the issue of the screening for hepatitis C virus infection in adults in Italy.It was concluded that a mass screening for hepatitis C virus infection is inappropriate. It was recommended that the following high-risk groups be tested for hepatitis C virus infection, particularly if they are potentially eligible for antiviral treatment: subjects with history of intravenous drug use; haemodialysis patients; subjects who received blood coagulation factors before 1987; subjects who received blood transfusions or organ transplantation before 1992; households of hepatitis C virus-infected individuals; subjects with multiple sexual partners which have or have had a sexually transmitted disease. A screening for hepatitis C virus infection was considered unjustified for persons who are scheduled for an invasive procedure (e.g. surgery, endoscopy) and during pregnancy.