US starts grappling with ‘travesty’ of untreated hepatitis C

By LAURAN NEERGAARD
AP Medical Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Too many Americans are missing out on a cure for hepatitis C. A study underway in a hard-hit corner of Kentucky is exploring a simple way to start changing that. One of the hurdles is that it takes multiple testing steps to learn someone has the liver-attacking disease. Researchers in Kentucky use a finger-prick of blood to make an on-the-spot diagnosis and start treatment right away, a process already offered in some other countries. A daily pill taken for two to three months can cure nearly everyone with few side effects.