Hepatitis C cases dropped in the US. Health officials aren’t sure if it’s a blip or a trend

By MIKE STOBBE
AP Medical Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Federal health officials say that new U.S. hepatitis C infections dropped slightly in 2022. It’s a surprising improvement after more than a decade of steady increases. Experts say they’re not sure whether the 6% decline is a statistical blip or the start of a new downward trend. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention posted its hepatitis C data for 2022 on Wednesday. Infection rates declined for white Americans, but rose in Black, Latino and Native American communities. Experts also think the overall rate going down could be attributed to prevention efforts, needle exchanges and more drugs being smoked rather than injected.