Hepatitis C Transmission Confirmed among Residents of a Skilled Nursing Facility in 2013

​Researchers recently confirmed one of the largest resident-to-resident outbreaks of hepatitis C virus (HCV) in a skilled nursing facility (SNF) in the United States. The outbreak, which occurred among residents of a North Dakota SNF, resulted in 45 associated infections, according to a study published in the February 2017 issue of the American Journal of Infection Control. A clinician reported three acute HCV cases, diagnosed between March and May 2013, to the North Dakota Department of Health, whose staff found that all three patients affected were residents at the same SNF and received care at the same local hospital. The study described the investigation and subsequent public health interventions to control the outbreak.