Other slides are worth viewing–just click
on image.

This chart is from a series of lecture slides from the University of Louisville containing information adapted from “Davis et al, Liver Transplant, 2003; 9:331-338.”

The HCV death projections are a lot worse when patients are untreated. Public health officials at all levels of government continue to fail miserably in doing outreach.   This chart is a reminder of why it is important to demand that HCV testing be routine for veterans and all Americans.

The VA has posted a chart about some factors that can affect treatment outcomes–one of which is length of infection.   The sooner it’s discovered, the better the outcomes.  Here’s the link: http://www.hepatitis.va.gov/patient/treat/decisions-treatment-outcome-factors.asp

Like all viruses, HCV lacks locomotion.  HCV is smart however because it kills most victims very slowly thus giving it decades to seize an opportunity to move (float) its offspring into a new host before the current host dies.  And while HCV is replicating like mad, the victim is asymptomatic and completely unaware of the adversary that has made a temporary home within.