Hepatitis C cases dropped in the US. Health officials aren't sure if it's a blip or a trend
Federal health officials say that new U.S. hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022
NEW YORK (AP) — New U.S. hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022, a surprising improvement after more than a decade of steady increases, federal health officials said Wednesday.
Experts are not sure whether the 6% decline is a statistical blip or the start of a downward trend. Seeing 2023 and 2024 data, when it's available, will help public health officials understand what's going on, said Daniel Raymond, director of policy at the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable, an advocacy organization.
“We've had a decade of bad news ... I am cautiously encouraged," he said. "You always want to hope like something like this is real, and a potential sign that the tide has turned.”
Infection rates did not occur across the board. They declined for white Americans, but continued to rise in Black, Latino and Native American communities, according to Dr. Neil Gupta, who oversees the branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that tracks viral hepatitis.
