BACKGROUND:Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver-related mortality. The new antiviral drugs, direct acting antivirals (DAA) against HCV, result in more than 90% cure rate. This review aimed to provide an overview on the current prevalence, clinical outcomes with treatment response of HCV-infection, and countermeasures for optimal HCV control in South Korea.
METHODOLOGY/RESULTS:By way of literature review, current anti-HCV prevalence in Korean population is 0.6-0.8%, with increasing prevalence according to age. The major HCV genotypes among Korean patients were genotype 1b and 2. Successful antiviral treatment leads to significantly reduced liver-related complications and mortality. However, only one third of the infected people seemed to be properly managed under current national health insurance system, suggesting a remarkable underdiagnosis and subsequent loss of opportunity for treatment. A recent study showed that targeted population screening of HCV infection is cost-effective in South Korea.
CONCLUSION:To prevent occurrence of cluster HCV infection in medical settings, mandatory surveillance rather than sentinel surveillance for HCV infection is required. Moreover, public education and governmental countermeasures to prevent reuse of syringes or other medical devices should be reinforced. Furthermore, one-time screening of targeted population supported by favorable cost-effectiveness studies should be considered to control HCV infection in South Korea.
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