The hepatitis C cure rate is far behind U.S. goal for 2030, CDC says - The Washington Post

Just 34 percent of Americans diagnosed with the most common type of hepatitis — hepatitis C — are being cured of the liver infection, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The finding stems from the analysis of data on more than 1.7 million people who tested positive for hepatitis C from 2013 through 2022.

The report notes that the current cure rate falls far short of the national goal of at least 80 percent by 2030. That gap exists despite the presence, for nearly a decade, of medication (direct-acting antiviral tablets) that the report describes as "highly effective hepatitis C treatments."

Hepatitis C is a liver inflammation caused by the hepatitis C virus. It can be short-lived, but for most people it becomes chronic, sometimes lifelong, and can lead to liver failure, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. It also can be fatal.

At a news briefing in June, CDC officials said more than 2 million U.S. residents have the disease and nearly 15,000 die each year from it.

People contract hepatitis C through contact with the blood of someone who has the disease, which can occur through sharing needles, being tattooed or pierced with tools or inks that had not been sterilized after previous usage, or having unprotected sex with a person who has the disease.

Early in the disease, most people with hepatitis C have no symptoms and do not know they have the disease. Chronic cases, though, may produce such signs as fatigue, fever, nausea, abdominal pain or jaundice, although these symptoms may take decades to develop. Vaccines exist for hepatitis A and B, but no vaccine has been developed for hepatitis C.

This article is part of The Post's "Big Number" series, which takes a brief look at the statistical aspect of health issues. Additional information and relevant research are available through the hyperlinks.

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