Hepatitis C morbidity is set to double in next decade

The number of people facing death or serious liver disease from the bloodborne hepatitis C virus will double over the next decade, the UK Health Protection Agency has warned.

In its latest report on what it calls a “silent killer,” the health watchdog estimates that 230 000 adults in England and Wales are currently infected. Most of them still do not know they have the condition, which can cause cirrhosis and cancer of the liver if left untreated.

Helen Harris, an expert on hepatitis C at the agency, said the disease remained underdiagnosed simply because people were unaware they were carrying …