Hepatitis C News

Viral hepatitis is a major danger to public health. According to WHO’s 2024 Global Hepatitis Report, viral hepatitis deaths increased from 1.1 million in 2019 to 1.3 million in 2022, rates now similar to tuberculosis.

PHILADELPHIA — In this video, Paul Kwo, MD, professor of medicine and director of hepatology at Stanford University, discusses recent efforts to advance elimination of hepatitis C virus.

From 2010 to 2020, less than half of perinatally exposed infants were tested for hepatitis C virus, according to a study, but experts are hopeful that new early testing guidelines will ensure more infants are screened and treated.

Despite achieving cure with direct-acting antivirals, patients with chronic hepatitis C virus-related decompensated cirrhosis remain at risk for progression of portal hypertension, further decompensation and hepatocellular carcinoma.

A hepatitis C elimination program in Georgia reduced the estimated annual incidence of new infections by 61% since its launch in April 2015, which may accelerate efforts to reach the global 2030 elimination goal.

A new study provides the first evidence that illicit fentanyl use may play a role in hepatitis C transmission among injection drug users, according to researchers.

Every year on July 28th, clinicians and researchers recognize World Hepatitis Day to bring awareness to one of the world’s deadliest but preventable viruses and continue efforts to meet the global goal of eliminating viral hepatitis by 2030

Remaining current on screening for hepatocellular carcinoma correlated with a “survival benefit” in older adults with hepatitis C virus-related cirrhosis who achieved viral cure but later developed HCC, according to researchers.

The FDA’s recent authorization of a rapid, point-of-care test to diagnose current hepatitis C virus infection is a major victory, but it would be malpractice to initiate same-day HCV treatment if a patient’s hepatitis B virus status is unknown.