Hepatitis C Cases in Czechia Hit Record Levels: Five Deaths Already This Year

Czechia is seeing a record surge in hepatitis C cases: according to the National Institute of Public Health, five people have already died from the disease this year, and the number of new infections is on track to break the all-time record.

Until now, 2024 held the record, with 1,447 newly diagnosed cases. This year, however, looks set to surpass that figure. In the first half of the year, monthly case counts stayed below two hundred, but in July the number rose to 204, and in August it climbed further to 213.

More Testing or More Patients?

According to Kateřina Fabiánová from the epidemiology department at the National Institute of Public Health, the rise in cases is linked to improved and more accessible diagnostics, as well as the gradual shift to an electronic reporting system for infectious diseases, including hepatitis C.

However, some doctors say this explanation alone doesn't tell the whole story. Pavel Dlouhý, head of the infectious diseases department at Masaryk Hospital in Ústí nad Labem, said that while increased testing does affect the statistics, the actual number of infections is genuinely rising too — and the epidemic is proving difficult to bring under control.

Ústí Region Leads — for the Wrong Reasons

The Ústí Region currently has the highest number of cases in the country, with 309 reported infections. It's followed by the South Moravian Region with 223 cases, and Central Bohemia with 199. Regional disparities are stark: the Zlín Region, which has the best figures, has recorded just 17 cases.

Fabiánová noted that high infection rates are often linked to time spent in prison. Markéta Korinková, deputy head of the Justice Ministry's department overseeing medical facilities, said the ministry is trying to tackle the high infection rate by thoroughly screening everyone entering prison. If a test comes back positive, the person is isolated and treatment begins immediately.

A Dangerous Disease That Hides in Plain Sight

Hepatitis C often lives in the shadow of the better-known hepatitis A and B, even though its long-term consequences are far more severe — the disease can seriously damage the liver while remaining symptomless for years.

"What makes hepatitis C so insidious is that it can develop unnoticed for decades. Despite the nickname 'jaundice,' almost no one with this form of the disease actually turns yellow. Patients feel healthy, their liver readings are often normal, and all the while the virus is gradually destroying the liver," explained Soňa Fraňková from the Hepatogastroenterology Clinic at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine.

Source: novinky.cz