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Although effective therapies are now available to eradicate hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection, some experts fear that incidence may be rising with the recent increase in opiate abuse. Acute HCV infection is reportable in most jurisdictions in the U.S., and identified cases are subsequently reported to the CDC. In 2010, 850 cases were reported to the CDC; assuming that for every reported case, another 20 cases go unreported, the CDC estimated an annual national incidence of 17,000 infections.
To validate the estimated incidence of acute HCV infection in the U.S., investigators determined the reporting rate of acute HCV infection in one state (Massachusetts) and subsequently to the CDC. Cases were identified through two hospitals and the state…