Reported Hep C cases in young people more than tripled from 2006 to 2012 in Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, CDC study finds
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned about a sharp increase in hepatitis C infections linked to injection-drug abuse in four Appalachian states, and called for better health services to contain the spread.
Reported cases of acute hepatitis C infection in people ages 30 or under more than tripled from 2006 to 2012 in four states—Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia—according to a new study published by the CDC Thursday. Among patients for whom associated risk factors were reported, more than 70% reported injection-drug abuse.
During the same period, the number of people under 30 admitted to substance-abuse treatment facilities for opioid drugs grew by 21% in those states. A significant proportion of these people identified injection as their main method of drug use.
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