Disease Analysis: Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV), a hepacivirus belonging to the Flaviviridae family. HCV infects hepatocytes and is the leading cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Approximately 15−45% of people infected with HCV will spontaneously clear the virus, but the remaining 55−85% will develop chronic HCV infection. For those chronically infected with HCV, the risk of cirrhosis increases by 15–30% within 20 years. As of 2016, it is estimated that 71 million people are chronically infected with HCV worldwide, with approximately 399,000 infected people dying each year from liver-related diseases.

There are barriers to diagnosing HCV, with the most notable being that chronically infected individuals may appear asymptomatic until the advanced stages of the disease. However, once diagnosed, there are excellent treatment regimens available for both noncirrhotic and cirrhotic patients.