Thursday, October 22nd, 2015
Local health officials: Hepatitis C cases on rise
By Shelley Grieshop
An increase locally in injectable heroin use likely is responsible for a rise in the number of cases of hepatitis - a serious and highly contagious liver disease.
Equally frightening to local health officials is the belief there are many more cases of viral/chronic hepatitis C than actually reported, skewing the numbers and the scope of the problem. Up to 75 percent of people infected with the virus reportedly do not know it.
The disease, which can be deadly if left untreated, occurs in all social and economic populations but appears more rampant among drug users.
"A large portion of IV heroin users are positive for hepatitis C," said Judy Weaver, a registered nurse at the Mercer County jail who often treats prisoners charged or sentenced for drug crimes. "Some of our inmates are not sure of their status but suspect they are positive."
Prisoners in the past have told Weaver they realize hepatitis C can be spread by sharing needles and other drug paraphernalia "but in the moment they use, they don't care," she said.
The number of hepatitis C cases in Mercer County rose from 36 in 2013 to 56 last year. Auglaize County reported 22 cases in 2013, 28 in 2014 and 32 so far this year.
Hepatitis C is very infectious and can easily be spread when a person comes into contact with surfaces, equipment or objects contaminated with infected blood - even amounts too small to see. The virus can survive on surfaces for up to three weeks.
Symptoms can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, vomiting or upset stomach, dark urine, gray-colored stool, joint pain and yellow skin and eyes. However, many people with hepatitis C have no symptoms.
Weaver said the jail does not have test kits to confirm the virus.
"Since I don't have access to free test kits, inmates are not interested in taking my class and having accurate information," she said.
Compounding the problem is the testing procedure for hepatitis C. An antibody test is initially given but a positive result only means a person was infected at some time in his or her life. An additional blood test or tests are needed to determine if someone currently is infected, Weaver said.
Some people, particularly drug users, can't afford the tests and simply aren't interested in knowing.
"It's expensive. Often they don't have insurance and don't do follow-ups. We encourage it, but they don't always follow up," said Sally Rohrbach, registered nurse at the Auglaize County jail.
Inmates frequently are released from jail prior to completing hepatitis testing, the nurses said. If they are confirmed to be carrying the virus, the information is reported to the state, as required, and kept on file at the jail.
Treatment also isn't cheap, Weaver said.
"Hepatitis C treatment is very expensive, about $100,000 per person, but the disease is more easily cured than in the past and the treatment is not as harsh," she explained.
Hepatitis C also can be spread when tattoo, piercing or cutting equipment is contaminated with the virus and used on another person.
"A number of baby boomers have lived with hepatitis without knowing it," Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman Melanie Amato told the newspaper.
People born between 1945 and 1965 are five times more likely than others to be infected with hepatitis C, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Older adults more readily these days seek hepatitis testing because of awareness campaigns and educational programs, Amato said.
"The Ohio Department of Health, the state's local health departments and others in public health in Ohio continually look for opportunities to educate all Ohioans about hepatitis and to encourage them to get tested," she said.
