James E. Squires, William F. Balistreri. “Hepatitis C virus infection in children and adolescents.” Hepatology Communications, Volume 1, Issue 2 (2017): 87-98.
INTRODUCTION: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection remains a major public health burden, with an estimated worldwide prevalence of 2.5% of the population (177.5 million infected adults); this ranges from 1.3% in the Americas to 2.9% in Africa.[1] In the United States alone, an estimated 3 million to 4 million persons are chronically infected with HCV, and approximately half are unaware of their infectious status and do not receive appropriate care. The current Centers for Disease Control recommendations for HCV screening and advances in HCV treatment are anticipated to diminish the clinical burden of the disease; however, medication cost and access to care remain significant barriers.[2] In order to provide a more structured approach to the dynamic landscape of HCV, adult-centric guidelines have been established.[3] These provide health care professionals with timely guidance as new therapies become available and are integrated into treatment regimens.