Only half of people in the United States who have been infected with hepatitis C get properly tested for the disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Testing for the liver-destroying disease involves two steps: the patient is initially tested for antibodies and then undergo further testing using a more sophisticated method to detect hepatitis C.
But many people who are infected with the virus and go for the initial testing do not follow up with the secondary examination.
"Complete testing is critical to ensure that those who are infected receive the care and treatment for hepatitis C that they need in order to prevent liver cancer and other serious and potentially deadly health consequences," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, CDC director.
Researchers analyzed data collected from eight different regions throughout the U.S. and found that only 51 percent of people who tested positive for hepatitis C antibodies went for a follow-up test.
And based on the study's results, the public health agency is now encouraging doctors to perform the secondary hepatitis C test on patients so they may receive the proper treatment.
About 80 percent of people who test positive will remain infected with the virus, which is a situation that sets the stage for serious health complications.
The CDC estimates that 3.2 million Americans are infected with the hepatitis C---an illness that is transmitted through blood and responsible for 15,000 deaths in America each year.