Hepatitis worries best fought with information

Concern grows in area with outbreak at Fremont

By Mike Bockoven
mbockoven@theindependent.com

"You either get a new liver or you die," Werner said. "Once it reaches a certain phase, that's about your only two options."

With last month's scare in Fremont, where 81 patients from a clinic were infected with hepatitis C, health care professionals have been fielding a variety of calls concerning the chronic disease. In answering a number of patient questions, Werner said, there is a lot of wrong information in the public about hepatitis in all its forms.

Hepatitis is a viral illness that comes in a variety of forms. The three major forms are A, B and C, named for the order in which they were discovered. While all forms of hepatitis destroy the liver, there are currently vaccines that can be given for forms A and B.

For C, which is transmitted through the blood, there is no vaccine, and it is the primary source of the inquiries. While there might be more concern about hepatitis C, according to the Centers for Disease Control, the number of cases is down dramatically, from 240,000 in the 1980s to about 25,000 in 2001. The main difference, Werner said, is blood handlers didn't used to test for hepatitis C on a regular basis. The CDC said the main source of transmission now is the sharing of needles and unprotected sex.

Debra Hann, nurse educator with the Central District Health Department, said the bulk of people they've heard from have one question on their minds -- how to best protect themselves.

"There's a misconception that it can be contracted through casual contact, and that's not true," Hann said. "What we tell people is the best way to avoid hepatitis C is to not engage in risky behavior. It's as simple as that."

One of the big problems with hepatitis C is different people react to the disease in wildly different ways. For some, the onset of symptoms that include jaundice or a yellowing of the skin, flu symptoms and eventual kidney shutdown, happens immediately. For others, they can go as many as 10 years without exhibiting symptoms, during which time they can be a carrier.

Hann said it's for that very reason that information is important, as is knowing whether you are infected. The health department performs hepatitis testing for $45.

"We encourage people who think they might be at risk to be tested," she said. "If people have engaged in any high-risk behavior that would expose them, they should be tested or immunized if possible."

Earlier this year the health department instituted an educational program about hepatitis for the public that included educational materials and community workshops if requested.

Recently in Fremont, a support group has been started to deal with the effects of contracting hepatitis C. While there isn't anything like that in this area, there are certain facts people who have contracted the virus should know.

"Anyone who has it or might have been at risk at one point should make their physicians aware of it," Werner said. "There are special treatments that can keep things under control."

Medications such as interferon and ribavirin are two drugs licensed for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C, according to the CDC, and a combination of therapy and drugs can rid the body of 40 to 80 percent of the virus. Activities such as drinking alcohol can make the liver disease worse.

Hann said through her time at the health department, the amount of awareness concerning hepatitis has gone up. That doesn't mean that the numbers have decreased considerably, however.

"It's not a big problem, but it's more of a problem than it should be," she said. "There's more awareness, so people are being tested, which is good. But the fact that we have so many tests coming back positive, that's bad."

An estimated 3.9 million Americans have been infected with hepatitis at one point, 2.7 million of whom are chronically infected, according to the CDC. As far as protecting yourself from hepatitis, Hann said educating yourself as to what's real and what's not concerning the disease can make a world of difference.

"Know what will get you infected," she said. "That's the best way to avoid getting infected."

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