Hepatitis C Virus Is Associated With Increased Mortality Among Incarcerated Hospitalized Persons in Massachusetts

Alysse G Wurcel; Rubeen Guardado; Curt G Beckwith

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofab579

Hepatitis C Virus Is Associated With Increased Mortality Among Incarcerated Hospitalized Persons in Massachusetts

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2021 Dec 18;8(12):ofab579. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofab579. eCollection 2021 Dec.

Authors

Alysse G Wurcel^{1

2}, Rubeen Guardado¹, Curt G Beckwith³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Geographic Medicine and Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine Tufts Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
² Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston Massachusetts, USA.
³ Division of Infectious Diseases, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA.

Abstract

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is curable, but incarcerated populations face barriers to treatment. In a cohort of incarcerated hospitalized patients in Boston, Massachusetts, HCV infection was associated with increased mortality. Access to HCV treatment in carceral settings is crucial to avoid unnecessary death and to support HCV elimination efforts.

Keywords: hepatitis C; incarcerated; jail; liver disease; prison.

Grants and funding

K08 HS026008/HS/AHRQ HHS/United States