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By Nick Gale, WLS-AM 890 News
(SPRINGFIELD) – In Recognition of the World Day Against Hepatitis, July 28, the Illinois Department of Public Health encourages people to talk with a health care provider to see if they should be tested or vaccinated against hepatitis A, B or C. The viral hepatitis is caused by several different viruses that can infect the liver . Each virus is transmitted differently, although in general, they are highly transmissible by bodily fluids, sexual contact and contaminated water.
"A person with hepatitis B or C may not have symptoms for years or decades" Nirav D. Shah, MD "According to the World Health Organization, at least 60% Liver cancer cases are due to late testing and treatment of viral hepatitis B and C. Tests and treatments can save lives.This year, find out if you should be tested. "
Viral hepatitis affects millions of people worldwide, causing both acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) liver disease. The World Health Organization estimates that 325 million people worldwide are living with chronic hepatitis B or chronic hepatitis C. Viral hepatitis causes more than a million deaths a year, a number comparable to deaths from TB and HIV combined. As deaths from TB and HIV decline, deaths from hepatitis increase. Every year, hepatitis C kills more Americans than any other infectious disease.
In Illinois, the number of reported cases of hepatitis C increased by 43%, from 6887 in 2006 to 9,838 in 2017. Number of cases in people under 35 years of age were linked to injecting drug use. The increase in hepatitis C cases corresponds to the opioid epidemic in Illinois.
Various blood tests are available to diagnose cases of hepatitis. Factors that increase the risk of infection with hepatitis A, B and C include: injecting drug use, sexual contact with an infected partner, prior diagnosis of HIV, chronic liver disease and disorders Coagulation factors
are preventable with vaccination. Direct treatment for hepatitis A is not currently available, but there is a very effective vaccine that people with risk factors should receive. Hepatitis B, similar to hepatitis C, can be treated with prescription antiviral medications
Copyright 2018 WLS-AM News
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