Hepatitis Central

The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there 170 million people worldwide (3% of the world's population) infected with the Hepatitis C virus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report that in 2006 there were an estimated 19,000 new hepatitis C cases in the United States. An estimated 3.2 million people have chronic hepatitis C infection in the United States.

For every one person that is infected with the AIDS virus, there are more than four infected with Hepatitis C. Currently, 8,000 to 10,000 deaths each year are a result of HCV, and by the year 2010, it is estimated that 30,000 to 40,000 patients will die annually of HCV related chronic liver disease. Although the incidence of new cases of HCV (Hepatitis C Virus) is declining, an increasing number of HCV patients are identified with cirrhosis and will face its complications of liver failure and cancer.

There is no vaccine and no completely effective treatment!

If you have just been diagnosed with HCV, try not to panic! The article " What is HCV ?" will help you to understand Hepatitis C a little better.

You will hear that this disease can be spread by kissing and hugging your loved ones, this is not true.

We have this disease because we will overcome it. Having a positive attitude about all of this, is what will get us through it. But, we can't do it alone. We must work together to get this done. We must join together to win this battle. This truly is the battle of our lives. As well as for our lives.

"We have this disease because we can handle it." when you're first diagnosed that you are not thinking like this, but given a little time you will. If you don't think of yourself as a strong person, you will change your mind on that opinion soon...

Please visit our Hepatitis support forum. You are going to find some of the best support on the internet on this board. Also for Veterans with Hepatitis C, go to the VETS WITH HEP C forum. If you are a veteran with HCV please join others like yourself here to share.

To subscribe to the Hepatitis-Central Research & Treatment News email list, click here. There are over 17,000 people on this list. You will receive no more than 1 or 2 Hepatitis C related e-newsletters in one week (unless of course they find a cure!). Many of these articles are technical, many are the latest news articles.

For additional statistical information visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov and the WHO website at www.who.int.