Hepatitis Awareness Month

Woodstock Ill. – McHenry County Department of Health (MCDH) recognizes May as Hepatitis Awareness Month. MCDH reported 64 cases of Hepatitis C in 2014, with ten cases of Hepatitis B, as compared to 55 cases of Hepatitis C and seven cases of Hepatitis B in 2013. Hepatitis C is a serious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis C virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that most people with Hepatitis B or C do not know they are infected.

On May 2, the CDC issued an alert to health departments nationwide urging them to take steps to identify and track HIV and Hepatitis B and C cases in an effort to identify potential clusters and prevent similar outbreaks as was recently reported in Indiana. Health officials say high rates of Hepatitis C are a key indicator of needle-sharing and a potential HIV outbreak; Hepatitis B has lower rates of incidence related to vaccination rates. CDC recorded a 150 percent increase in acute Hepatitis C cases from 2010 to 2013, said Dr. Jonathan Mermin, director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention.

Getting tested is the only way to know. In 2012, the CDC started recommending Hepatitis C testing for everyone born from 1945 – 1965. While anyone can get Hepatitis C, up to 75 percent of adults infected with Hepatitis C were born during those years. Every year, approximately 15,000 Americans die from liver cancer or chronic liver disease associated with viral hepatitis. However, many people can benefit from available treatment options that can eliminate the virus from the body and prevent further damage. CDC states:

· baby boomers are five times more likely to have Hepatitis C than other adults;

· the longer people live with Hepatitis B and/or C undiagnosed and untreated, the more likely they are to develop serious, life-threatening liver disease;

· liver disease, liver cancer, and deaths from Hepatitis C are on the rise;

· injection drug users (IDUs) are at high risk for Hepatitis B and C through sharing needles and other equipment to inject drugs.

The CDC has an online Hepatitis Risk Assessment http://www.cdc.gov/HEPATITIS/riskassessment/ designed to determine an individual’s risk for viral hepatitis. You’ll receive a confidential personalized report that you can discuss with your health care provider. For more information, visit http://www.cdc.gov/knowmorehepatitis/LearnMore.htm.

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“Working to prevent disease and promote health and safety for all McHenry County residents since 1966.”