Utah’s Hepatitis C infection rate is going down
May 19, 2025, 12:56 PM | Updated: 1:19 pm
The hepatitis C infection rate for new cases in Utah was once four times the national average, but is now declining.(Canva)
(Canva)
SALT LAKE CITY — The hepatitis C infection rate for new cases in Utah was once four times the national average, but is now declining.
Based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s 2023 data, Utah had the seventh-highest infection rate for new hepatitis C cases in the country — just under six infections per 100,000 people. But Preventable Disease Manager Amelia Salmanson of the Utah Department of Health and Human Services said last year’s infection rate was much lower.
“Our hepatitis C rate dropped quite a bit for those new infections in 2024, down to 3.8 9per 100,000 people),” said Salmanson.
Utah’s downward hepatitis C trend began in 2021
According to Salmanson, this data continues a downward trend for the state that began in 2021, helped by Utah’s robust surveillance system which monitors case rates and data daily.
The CDC said that hepatitis C rarely causes symptoms but can lead to liver cancer, liver failure, or death. The agency estimates more than 2 million people in the U.S. don’t know they have the liver disease.
Hepatitis C spreads only through blood, so Salmanson recommends not sharing items like razors or glucose monitors. While there’s no vaccine, she said a highly successful treatment is available.
Salmanson said testing and treatment are the best prevention methods. Monday is National Hepatitis Testing Day. People can talk to their doctor about getting tested or visit gettested.cdc.gov to find testing services.
Related: Utah lab working with CDC to develop testing for bird flu
