HCV Current Initiative: Addressing the National Epidemics of Prescription Opioid misuse and Hepatitis C through Unique Partnerships

By Dominique Saunders, Viral Hepatitis Prevention Coordinator, Kansas Department of Health and Environment and Sarah Knopf-Amelung, Project Manager, Mid-America ATTC, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Nursing and Health Studies - See more at: https://blog.aids.gov/2015/09/hcv-current-initiative-addressing-the-national-epidemics-of-prescription-opioid-misuse-and-hepatitis-c-through-unique-partnerships.

Recently, there has been a spotlight on America’s prescription opioid misuse and overdose epidemics.  However, too often, people remain unaware of the related hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported an estimated 150% increase in new HCV infections from 2010 to 2013 and, further, that most of the new infections were associated with injection drug use. An analysis of state and national data indicate that a large proportion of new HCV infections are occurring in young people (<30 years of age) in rural and suburban areas who use oral prescription opioid analgesics before transitioning to injecting. - See more at: https://blog.aids.gov/2015/09/hcv-current-initiative-addressing-the-national-epidemics-of-prescription-opioid-misuse-and-hepatitis-c-through-unique-partnerships.

At the same time, recent years have seen advances that have revolutionized the field of hepatitis C. Groundbreaking treatments with cure rates as high as 90-100% are now available.  Preventive screenings without cost-sharing under the Affordable Care Act make HCV screening more accessible for many people.  And the national Viral Hepatitis Action Plan increases coordination across federal programs and includes among its priorities the urgent need to reduce viral hepatitis associated with drug use behaviors. - See more at: https://blog.aids.gov/2015/09/hcv-current-initiative-addressing-the-national-epidemics-of-prescription-opioid-misuse-and-hepatitis-c-through-unique-partnerships.

Read more....

Hepatitis C cases prompt public health emergency in Fayette County

FAYETTE COUNTY -State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams, M.D., M.P.H., has declared a public health emergency for Fayette County, allowing the county health department to establish a syringe exchange program as part of a broader effort to reduce the spread of Hepatitis C.

"Fayette County is battling a Hepatitis C epidemic tied to intravenous drug use," said Dr. Adams. "County officials have submitted a comprehensive, multi-pronged plan to combat this epidemic, and a syringe exchange is one part of this effort to help reduce the spread of this devastating disease."

Senate Enrolled Act 461 made syringe exchange programs legal in Indiana for the first time, under certain circumstances. The law lays out a set of procedural and substantive requirements that local communities must meet in order for an emergency declaration to be considered by the state health commissioner. 

Read more....

Hepatitis C on the rise in the Northland; concerns focused on baby boomers and people younger than 30

Eight doesn’t seem like a lot, but eight cases of hepatitis C virus in Duluth caught the attention of state health officials.

“Duluth actually is an area we’ve been looking at for a little while,” said Kristin Sweet, hepatitis unit supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Health.

Nationwide, officials have noticed a rise in the potentially dangerous, chronic liver disease. The focus is on two groups: baby boomers, some of whom may have had the virus for years without knowing it; and people younger than 30, a group whose size seems to be increasing along with the recent increase in heroin use.

Read more...