Facts About Hepatitis C: CDC-OC
Article title: Facts About Hepatitis C: CDC-OC
Conditions: Hepatitis C
Source: CDC-OC
Facts About Hepatitis C
October 31, 1998
Contact: Media Relations Division
(404) 6393286
- Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is the most common chronic
bloodborne infection in the United States. Approximately 3.9 million
(1.8%) persons in the United States are infected with HCV. About 7% of
these may have acquired their infection from blood transfusion.
- During the 1980s, an estimated 230,000 new HCV infections occurred
each year. Since then, the annual number of new infections has declined
by >80% to an estimated 36,000 in 1996. Most of this decline was due
to a decrease in cases among injection drug users.
- Chronic liver disease is the tenth leading cause of death among
adults in the United States. Studies indicate 40% to 60% of this disease
is related to HCV, resulting in 8,000 to 10,000 deaths each year.
- Costs due to HCV disease are estimated to exceed $600 million
annually.
- Often those infected with HCV have no symptoms. Chronic liver
disease progresses at a slow rate without symptoms during the first two
or more decades after infection.
- HCV infection occurs among all age groups. In the general
population, about 60% of the HCV infections are among persons 30 to 49
years of age.
- Injecting drug use currently accounts for 60% of HCV infections in
the United States.
- Many persons with chronic HCV infection might have become infected
20 to 30 years ago as a result of limited or occasional illegal drug
injecting.
- Sexual exposures (infected partner or multiple partners) might
account for up to 20% of HCV transmission.
- Other known exposures (occupational, hemodialysis, perinatal)
together account for about 10% of infections.
- Only 10% of persons with hepatitis C report no recognized source for
their infection.
- HCV is not spread by sneezing, hugging, coughing, breast feeding,
food or water, sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses, or casual
contact. Tattooing and body piercing are not associated with HCV
infection.
- There is no vaccine against hepatitis C.
This page last reviewed
URL:
Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
Office of
Communication
