Hepatitis C News

Discovering individuals with a thyroid disorder to be chronically infected with the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is becoming an increasingly common occurrence. Although new diagnoses of HCV are confirmed each day, an estimated four million Americans are currently known to be living with this virus. Because approximately 20 million Americans are currently living with a thyroid disorder and those with HCV are at a significantly higher risk of thyroid disorders, awareness of symptom for both ailments can be helpful in recognizing this kind of dual affliction.

Testing for prevalent, infectious diseases has become routine in populations most likely to be affected with high infection rates. Despite this noble public health practice, routine testing can be an unnecessary expense, inconvenience and source of worry if not performed sparingly. Thus, mass education campaigns and testing regimens are usually put in place only if proven to be crucial for aiding the treatment and prevention of an infectious disease.

However, recent changes in Brazil and Argentina are expected to drive a shift in treatment of HCV genotype 1 infections, according to a new report from Decision Resources

May 13, 2013—Burlington, Mass. —Decision Resources, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms for pharmaceutical and healthcare issues, finds that the majority of hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients in Brazil, Mexico and Argentina rely entirely on government-sponsored medical programs to cover their treatment costs.

A group of the UK's leading tattoo artists has called for tougher regulations across the industry.

They want people to be more aware of the dangers of backstreet parlours and home inking kits bought online.

The group, Tattoo Regulations 2013, is led by celebrity tattooist Kevin Paul, who has worked on Ed Sheeran and Harry Styles.

The Department of Health says it believes that new laws are not the answer to the problem.

Access to hepatitis C treatment in low- and middle-income countries is being restricted by the high cost of interferon and a lack of commitment to treating the disease, leading to a growing gap between the prospects of patients in the wealthiest nations and the rest of the world, advocates reported at the 48th International Liver Congress (EASL 2013) in Amsterdam last month.

Half of all people who receive an initial hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibody screening test never return for follow-up viral load testing to determine if they are still infected, according to a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study. Confirmatory testing is needed to link people with chronic hepatitis C to appropriate care and treatment. "You may not remember what you did in the 60s and 70s," said CDC director Thomas Frieden,"but your liver does."

The UK needs to “be doing so much more” in response to hepatitis C, according to a new report. Supported by a consortium of leading hepatitis C charities, Confronting the silent epidemic: a critical review of hepatitis C management in the UK  highlighted a 300% increase in hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related deaths since 1996 and significant concerns about the future of services within the reformed NHS.

An estimated four to five million Americans are believed to have Hepatitis C, a potentially dangerous virus that infects the liver. As the pharmaceutical industry intently focuses on creating the ideal drug cocktail to kill the Hepatitis C virus, many look to the ability of natural supplements, like selenium, to inhibit damage done by this illness and strengthen the liver’s resilience to it.

An integrative tactic for battling Hepatitis C enlisting the “all hands on deck” approach is gaining popularity. Hepatitis C antiviral therapy has recently improved, offering an estimated 75 percent chance of success using a triple-drug regimen.