• Health experts estimate 180 million people have chronic hepatitis C worldwide.
• The hepatitis C virus was not discovered until 1989. A test to detect the virus in the blood was not developed until 1992.

In the United States…

• Hepatitis C infection is the most common chronic blood borne infection in the U.S.
• Approximately 4.1 million persons, or 1.6% of the total U.S. population, are infected with hepatitis C.
• Of persons infected with hepatitis C
  • 85% will remain infected for life; of those:
    • 60 - 70% will develop chronic liver disease
    • 10 – 20% will develop cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
    • 1 – 5% will develop liver cancer
• Liver failure from chronic hepatitis C is one of the most common reasons for liver transplants.
  • In 2005, about 6,500 liver transplants were performed in the U.S.
  • The number of liver transplants performed per year has been increasing steadily for more than 15 years.

• Chronic liver disease is the tenth leading cause of death among adults in the U.S., causing approximately 25,000 deaths annually.
  • 40% of deaths from chronic liver disease can be attributed to hepatitis C.
  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that deaths due to hepatitis C will double or triple in the next 15 to 20 years.

• From year 2010 through 2019, direct medical costs of HCV-related liver disease are projected to reach $10.7 billion.

In Arizona…

The reporting of hepatitis C by physicians and clinical laboratories began in April 1997, and a registry of infections in Arizona was initiated in 1998.

• It is estimated that at least 100,000 people are infected with hepatitis C, nearly half of whom are unaware of their infection.
• As many as 85,000 of Arizonans infected with hepatitis C will be infected for life.
• Most HCV-infected Arizonans are 35-54 years old.
• In 1998, $38.5 million was spent on hepatitis C treatment in Arizona.

Please note: Data are provisional and subject to change as new reports are received.

Total HCV Reports by Year, Arizona, 1998-2006

Total HCV Reports by Age Group, Arizona, 1998-2006

Total HCV Reports by County, Arizona, 1998-2006