Hepatitis C in the United States

Graphics with Key Data for Hepatitis C in the US and among Baby Boomers

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2012-05-20

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Testing saves lives: An estimated 3.2 million Americans are infected with hepatitis C. Of that number, 2.1 million are baby boomers. Up to 1.5 million baby boomers are unaware of their infections. However, CDC estimates that implementing the proposed new testing recommendations could identify 800,000 additional hepatitis C infections. Providing these patients with appropriate care and treatment could prevent more than 120,000 deaths.

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Hepatitis C is an unrecognized health crisis in the United States. This life-threatening infection affects an estimated 3.2 million Americans, and more than 75 percent of American adults with hepatitis C are baby boomers.

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Hepatitis C is a virus that attacks the liver. It is the leading cause of liver transplants and liver cancer — the fastest-rising cause of all cancer-related deaths — in the United States. The number of Americans who die each year from hepatitis C-related illnesses has increased each year since 1999, reaching approximately 15,000 in 2007.

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

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