Hepatitis

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It can be caused by a variety of toxins (such as drugs or alcohol), autoimmune conditions, or pathogens (including viruses, bacteria, or parasites).1 Viral hepatitis is caused by a family of viruses labeled A, B, C, D, and E. To learn more about the route of transmission and prognosis for each virus, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Division of Viral Hepatitis. Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) are the most common viral hepatitis infections transmitted through the sometimes risky behaviors of people who use drugs—particularly among people who inject drugs. An estimated 862,000 people are living with HBV chronic infections, with about 22,000 acute infections recorded in 2017. An estimated 2.4 million Americans are living with HCV based on 2013-2016 annual average, with an estimated 44,700 new cases of acute HCV in 2017. In fact, new cases of acute HCV have increased rapidly in the US since 2010, and have most often been associated with injection drug use.6 Three out of four people living with HCV are baby boomers born between 1945 and 1965.7