Emergency Department Screening for Hepatitis C Virus: Geographic Reach and Spatial Clustering in Central Alabama

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a growing problem, disproportionately affecting those born between 1945 and 1965. Here, we demonstrate the wide geographic reach and surveillance potential of emergency department-based screening and identify areas of elevated HCV infection in central Alabama that were socioeconomically disadvantaged compared with surrounding communities.