Closure of CDC hepatitis lab imperils U.S. outbreak response, prevention
The U.S. capacity to battle hepatitis B and C has been leveled a devastating blow with the recent closure of the CDC’s premier testing laboratory for viral hepatitis, experts warned.
An estimated 4 million Americans are infected with hepatitis C, a disease that can go undetected for years. Another 2.4 million people in this country are chronically infected with hepatitis B, which is the leading cause of liver cancer globally.
Hepatitis B is preventable, and hepatitis C is curable. But the U.S. capacity to battle these viral scourges has been leveled a devastating blow with the April 1 closure of the country’s premier testing laboratory for viral hepatitis, experts warned.
