Hepatitis C: How Many Americans are Affected?

A survey of U.S. households conducted between 2003 and 2010 revealed that approximately 2.7 million U.S. residents are infected with chronic hepatitis C virus, according to a new report.

This figure marks a decrease by about 500,000 cases identified by a similar analysis conducted between 1999 and 2000, according to the new report, which was published in the March 4, 2014 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Treatment can cure the disease and decrease risk for death, yet many persons infected with HCV do not know they have it, according to background information in the report. Currently more people in the U.S. die from HCV than from HIV infection. Knowledge of the number of people with HCV infection is critical for public health and policy planning.

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