Some Facts about HCV

• HCV is a major bloodborne human pathogen affecting approximately 3% of the global population
• The most important route of transmission in developed countries is injection drug use
• If untreated, most acute infections progress to chronic infection and liver disease
• Progression to advanced liver disease and HCC is influenced by several cofactors, the most important being alcohol abuse and metabolic syndrome[Alberti 2009]
• Aging of the currently infected population is expected to result in significant increases in the incidence of HCV-related cirrhosis 

• Prevalence rates of HCV in very low endemicity countries vary greatly from those in highly endemic areas where rates of infection are as high as 20% (Figure 1)[CDC