Nearly 4 million Americans may be infected with the hepatitis C virus, with many people unaware of their status. The virus can take decades to make those infected ill with cirrhosis, cancer or liver failure.

Three researchers now argue in the May 15 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) that America’s oversized prison population provides a critical opportunity to tackle the U.S. hepatitis C epidemic. Inmates, they say, have a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus infection (one in six prisoners is infected) and are readily reachable for testing and treatment.

Why focus on inmates? Most hepatitis C virus infection in the U.S. is due to past use of injection drugs. More than 10 million Americans cycle in and out of prisons and jails each year, including nearly one of every three Americans infected with the hepatitis C virus. Because more than 95 percent of prisoners are eventually released, most hepatitis C virus-related illness will occur in the community, the researchers write in their article.

Scott A. Allen, MD, at the University of California, Riverside’s School of Medicine is one of the authors of the NEJM article.

In the video Dr. Allen explains why we all ought to pay attention to the hepatitis C virus; what we can expect if nothing is done to address the epidemic; why the criminal justice system is the best place to cure the greatest number of people infected with the virus; how the treatment of prisoners would benefit society in the long run; and why the high cost of treating prisoners (currently, a single treatment course costs approximately $84,000 per person) is justified.

Says Dr. Allen: “It is estimated that more than a million Americans could die because of the hepatitis C virus by 2060; those who are spared will require critical and costly treatments, including liver transplants.”

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The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California’s diverse culture, UCR’s enrollment has exceeded 21,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews.

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Iqbal Pittalwala
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University of California - Riverside