Kombe Kombe, A.J., Li, B., Zahid, A., Mengist, H.M., Bounda, G., Zhou, Y., et al. (2021) Epidemiology and Burden of Human Papillomavirus and Related Diseases, Molecular Pathogenesis, and Vaccine Evaluation. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, Article 552028.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.552028

has been cited by the following article:

• TITLE: High-Risk Human Papillomavirus Prevalence and Genotypes Distribution: Baseline Findings from Cervical Cancer Screening with Alinity m among Women in Bulgaria

  AUTHORS: Denitsa Todorova Tsaneva-Damyanova

  KEYWORDS: Human Papillomavirus, High-Risk HPV Types, Alinity m HPV, Primary Cervical Cancer Screening

  JOURNAL NAME: Open Journal of Epidemiology, Vol.16 No.2, May 18, 2026

  ABSTRACT: Background: Persistent high-risk human papillomavirus HPV (HR-HPV) infection is the most significant risk factor for epithelial cell changes, the development of high-grade squamous cell lesions, and the progression to cervical cancer. This study aimed to provide epidemiological data and assess the prevalence and genotype distribution of HR-HPV. Methods: Liquid-based cytology (LBC) samples from 190 Bulgarian women were simultaneously tested to identify HR-HPV genotypes and perform cytological analysis. HPV detection and genotyping were performed using the clinically validated Alinity m HR-HPV assay. This test provides detailed information on HPV16, HPV18, and HPV45 and categorizes the remaining 11 HR-HPV genotypes. Results: HR-HPV infection was detected in 16.8% of the women screened, with mean age of 38.2 (±9.8) years. Infection with HPV16 was seen in 5.3%, HPV18 positivity was 2.2% and genotype HPV45 was found in 1.0%. Abnormalities in LBC cytology were observed in 18.9% of women. HR-HPV positivity in normal cytology samples was 5.2% and 63.9% in abnormal smears. Conclusion: At present, there is a notable absence of official data concerning the substantial impact of HPV in Bulgaria. Presented baseline findings establish a foundational understanding of the prevalence and genotype distribution of HR-HPV within selected segments of the Bulgarian population.