Health officials in the United Kingdom say that England is now on a course to possibly becoming the first country in the world to eradicate hepatitis C.

The country's National Health Service (NHS) says it has be able to successfully find and treat people with the virus, the Times in the UK reported.

The country has seen deaths from the virus fall by 35%.

According to officials, over 70,000 people have been cured of hepatitis C.

The virus can cause damage to the liver and even failure of the organ.

NHS officials say they expect to be able to wipe out the virus and its community spread by 2025, ahead of a World Health Organization (WHO) target.