Expert calls for improved control of HCV

The population infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) has been growing steadily in recent years in China, yet not been well treated, according to a liver disease expert on Sunday.

The Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported over 200,000 HCV newly infected cases in 2013, while a questionnaire survey it carried shows only 38 percent of the people have ever heard of the disease, said Duan Zhongping, deputy director of Beijing Youan Hospital, one of China's best hospitals for infectious diseases treatment.

It is estimated that there are 40 million HCV carriers in China, 10 to 30 percent of whom may develop liver cirrhosis or even liver cancer without timely and proper treatment, Duan said.

Half of the patients missed early diagnosis because of failed disease screening, and less than two percent of the confirmed patients have received effective treatment based on interferon.

Over half of the HCV infected patients can be completely cured if diagnosed early, Duan said, and with the development of medical technology, the curing rate is still increasing fast.

China should put forward a national plan on HCV control which covers disease screening among high risk group and enhance the application rate of antiviral treatment.