Baby Boomers Should be Screened for Hepatitis C Infection: USPSTF Says

Baby Boomers, people born between 1945 and 1965, should be screened for Hepatitis C, according to U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.

USPSTF issued the latest screening recommendation in a statement. The agency had earlier said that doctors must advise baby boomers to get themselves screened for the disease.

About 2.7 million to 3.9 million Americans currently have chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and the number of infected people is increasing each year. Many people who receive a liver transplant or are on the waiting-list for liver transplant have a chronic HCV infection. HCV is major cause for liver cancer.

"New evidence came out since the draft recommendation, which gave us greater confidence in the linkage between a sustained viral response and important outcomes," Dr. Albert Siu, co-vice chair of the task force, told Reuters Health.

The prevalence of HCV in baby boomers is about 4 percent while HCV affects just 1 percent of other American adults, according to Siu.

The Task Force said that many people who were infected with the virus didn't show any symptoms for many years.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also recommended HCV screening for all baby boomers. According to the agency, a simple blood test called 'the antibody test' can detect HCV infection in a person.

The statement from USPSTF is published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.