Hepatitis C Rise Linked to Opioid Crisis

December 21, 2017 - Today, CDC published new research suggesting the recent steep increase in hepatitis C virus infection is associated with increases in opioid injection.

Until the last decade, hepatitis C primarily affected older generations – mostly baby boomers, born between 1945 and 1965 – but as the opioid crisis has worsened, the virus has gained a foothold among younger people who inject drugs. The new report underscores the importance of an integrated response to these dual epidemics.

Key Findings

The most dramatic increases were seen among younger Americans

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"Hepatitis C is a deadly, common, and often invisible result of America's opioid crisis."

– Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, Director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention

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