Hepatitis C Is a Serious Blood Borne Infection
Hepatitis C is a serious, chronic liver infection caused by the Hepatitis C virus. It is acquired through contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected individual. The most common way the virus enters the blood stream is by sharing drugs or needles, but it can also occur as a result of an accidental needle stick or through sexual transmission. In addition, it can be spread from mother to child during childbirth. Often there are no symptoms until many years later after the liver has sustained serious damage. It is estimated that there are about 3.5 million people in the United States infected with the Hepatitis C virus, many of whom may not be aware that they are infected. For those with risk factors, testing is important since there are effective treatments for Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C Infections on the Rise
Up to this point, Baby Boomers have accounted for the largest number of cases of Hepatitis C infection. In most of these cases the infection was acquired by sharing infected needles when injecting drugs during the 1960s and 1970s…the halcyon days of the ‘hippie’ generation. But there is a disturbing new trend in the epidemiology of Hepatitis C due to the opioid epidemic. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) reports that the number of new cases of Hepatitis C has nearly tripled in the past five years with 34,000 new cases in 2015 alone. If you were born between 1945 and 1965, have ever injected drugs, received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1992 or are on kidney dialysis, you should talk to your physician about being tested for Hepatitis C even if you do not have symptoms.