Hep C is curable. So why aren’t more people getting treatment?

October 3, 2025.Reading time 13 minutes.

Photo of a person holding a paper image of a liver over their abdomen, where their liver sits

When a hepatitis C (“hep C”) infection is left untreated, it damages the liver over time, causing illnesses like cirrhosis and liver cancer. The good news is that hep C is curable.

Despite advances in hep C treatment that make it easier to use and prescribe, each year we still see more people in King County diagnosed than cured from hep C.

Hepatitis C: A once incurable infection can now be cured with 8 weeks of medication

August 7, 2024.Reading time 10 minutes.

Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis C (“hep C”) virus. Left untreated, hep C can severely damage the liver, causing illnesses like cirrhosis and liver cancer. The good news is that hep C can be completely cured. We sat down with Amber Casey, HCV Program Manager with Public Health, to learn more.

Possible risk of infections from dental clinic in Burien

December 18, 2018.Reading time 5 minutes.

Public Health – Seattle & King County (Public Health) advises patients who received dental services from the George M. Davis Dental Clinic in Burien, WA to consider being tested for hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and HIV infection. The George M. Davis Dental Clinic, in operation since 1982, has been closed following an infection control inspection […]

The Hepatitis C Test & Cure Project

September 27, 2018.Reading time 4 minutes.

In the U.S., hepatitis C virus (HCV) causes approximately 20,000 or more deaths a year and the rate of new HCV infections is increasing, fueled largely by the nation’s opioid epidemic. Since 2012, deaths from HCV have exceeded those from all other nationally reportable conditions combined, including HIV and tuberculosis. For these reasons, the U.S. […]

Hep Savvy: All baby boomers should get screened for Hepatitis C

December 21, 2015.Reading time 10 minutes.

UPDATED 5/18/17: Most people with chronic hepatitis don’t know they are infected. Getting tested before symptoms develop can prevent chronic liver disease, like cirrohosis, liver failure, and cancer. CDC guidelines recommend Hep C testing for all people born between 1945 and 1965. There are now more types of Hep C medications, and access to treatment […]