As if the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic weren't enough, the CDC now wants virtually all American adults to be screened for hepatitis C.
According to UPI, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites data that shows the number of cases nationally has tripled since 2009.
The agency estimates more than 50,000 Americans were diagnosed with the acute form of the virus in 2018.
That same year, nearly 138,000 were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C.
Chronic hepatitis C can be cured, but those who don't get treated risk significant liver damage, including cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure.
The rise in cases of hepatitis C in the US has been attributed to the ongoing opioid epidemic.
Hepatitis C is transmitted by sharing contaminated needles. However, Baby Boomers are also at risk if they received blood transfusions before 1950.
According to UPI, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites data that shows the number of cases nationally has tripled since 2009.
The agency estimates more than 50,000 Americans were diagnosed with the acute form of the virus in 2018.
That same year, nearly 138,000 were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C.
Chronic hepatitis C can be cured, but those who don't get treated risk significant liver damage, including cirrhosis, liver cancer and liver failure.
The rise in cases of hepatitis C in the US has been attributed to the ongoing opioid epidemic.
Hepatitis C is transmitted by sharing contaminated needles. However, Baby Boomers are also at risk if they received blood transfusions before 1950.
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