Final Update Summary: Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adolescents and Adults: Screening - US Preventive Services Task Force

Final Update Summary: Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Adolescents and Adults: Screening - US Preventive Services Task Force

New Screening Recommendation for Hepatitis  C Virus Infection May Help Reduce Liver Cancers

The US Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has released a new recommendation in screening for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. The USPSTF recommends screening for HCV infection in all adults aged 18 to 79 without known liver disease, symptoms, or risk. This replaces the previous recommendation in 2013, which recommended screening for HCV infection only in adults born between 1945 and 1965 and people at high risk for infection. Most adults need to be screened only once. People with continued risk such as injection drug use, should be screened regularly. 



If left untreated, an HCV infection can lead to hepatitis C, a liver disease with long-term health problems such as liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), and liver cancer. Expanding the age for HCV screening can help identify infections earlier, when timely treatments may prevent or reduce liver cancers related to hepatitis C.