Number of hepatitis C infections in US at 15-year high

Health 17 May 2017

THE number of new hepatitis C infections in the US has nearly tripled in the past five years.

New infections have reached a 15-year high, with 34,000 cases occurring in 2015, according to data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Hepatitis C is the deadliest infectious disease in the US. If left untreated, it can lead to liver failure or cancer.

The rise in new infections has been particularly rapid among young, white people in rural parts of states in the Appalachian, Midwestern and New England regions. CDC officials say the boom is mainly due to increased use of injected drugs related to the ongoing opioid epidemic.


To curb the surge of infections, they suggest tackling the causes of the opioid epidemic and introducing needle exchange schemes that also include testing for infectious diseases. “We have a cure for this disease and the tools to prevent new infections,” says John Ward, director of CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis.

This article appeared in print under the headline “Hepatitis rise”

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