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Rates of hospitalization due to chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) are increasing in Canada and the United States.
A large proportion of immigrants originate from countries with intermediate to high HCV prevalence but are not screened for HCV post-arrival and may therefore have increased risks of liver-related complications and hospitalization.
Higher burden of all-cause hospitalization in nonimmigrants likely reflects more prevalent behavioral comorbidities. Similar liver-related hospitalization rates appear to be driven by older age in immigrants who were more likely to have HCC at diagnosis possibly reflecting delayed HCV diagnosis. These findings suggest that earlier screening and treatment in immigrants could play an important role in preventing HCV complications in this population.
Read complete abstract here: http://cid.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2016/09/26/cid.ciw540.abstract?papetoc