Hepatitis C Is Top Infectious Disease Killer in U.S.

Hepatitis C Is Top Infectious Disease Killer in U.S.

Deaths associated with hepatitis C reached an all-time high of 19,659 in 2014, according to new surveillance data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And, a second CDC study showed that annual hepatitis C-related mortality in 2013 surpassed the total combined number of deaths from 60 other infectious diseases reported to the CDC, including HIV, pneumococcal disease and tuberculosis. The greatest hepatitis C burden falls on baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — many of whom have unknowingly been living with the infection for many years.

The surveillance data also point to a new wave of hepatitis C infections among people who inject drugs. Acute cases of hepatitis C infection have more than doubled since 2010, increasing to 2,194 reported cases in 2014. The new cases were predominantly among young, white individuals with a history of injection drug use, living in rural and suburban areas of the Midwest and Eastern United States. “Because hepatitis C often has few noticeable symptoms, the number of new cases is likely much higher than what is reported. Due to limited screening and underreporting, we estimate the number of new infections is closer to 30,000 per year,” said John W. Ward, MD, director of CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis, in a news release. “We must act now to diagnose and treat hidden infections before they become deadly and to prevent new infections.” California Dental Association (CDA) Journal, vol 22, issue Nº7, pp. 407. July 2016.

See more published in Clinical Infectious Diseases, vol. 62, issue 10, pp. 1287-1288.