Download 06 05 10 Hepatitis C look back press release

National Public Health Service for Wales
Statement on Hepatitis C look back
PRESS RELEASE
Issued by the Incident Management Team (National Public Health Service for
Wales, Gwynedd Local Health Board)
Hepatitis C Look Back
A healthcare worker in Gwynedd has been diagnosed with Hepatitis C.
An Incident Management Team was established last year. The Team has assessed
the risk to patients and is preparing a comprehensive communications strategy to
contact patients who have been treated by the healthcare worker. An offer of
counselling and screening will be made.
The risk of patients contracting Hepatitis C is very small and the contact programme
is being taken on a precautionary basis.
An alert line has been set up with NHS Direct – 0845 600 6086 – from 7am – 8pm on
weekdays and 7am – 4pm at weekends.
Further information is available on the NPHS web site – www.nphs.wales.nhs.uk/
ENDS
EDITORS NOTES
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. The most common causes of hepatitis
are viral infections. Hepatitis C is one such virus that can cause long-lasting
infection and is transmitted when blood from an infected person gets into the
bloodstream of another
Version: Final
Author: Chris Lines
Date: 10th May
2005
Page: 1 of 3
Status: Approved
National Public Health Service for Wales
1.1
Statement on Hepatitis C look back
What is hepatitis C?
Hepatitis means swelling or inflammation of the liver. The most common causes
of hepatitis are viral infections. Hepatitis C infection (also known as Hep C or
HCV) is one such virus that can cause long-lasting infection and can lead to liver
disease.
1.2
What are the symptoms of hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C infection affects different people in different ways; many experience
no symptoms at all while others experience extreme tiredness and can feel very
unwell. Reported symptoms include fatigue, weight loss, nausea, 'flu like
symptoms, problems concentrating, abdominal pain and jaundice.
It is estimated that around 15-20% of infected people clear their infections
naturally within the first 6 months of infection. For the remainder, hepatitis C is a
chronic infection that can span several decades and can be life-long.
1.3
How common is hepatitis C?
The World Health Organisation estimates that there are 170 million carriers of
hepatitis C worldwide. On a global scale, the United Kingdom is considered to be
a relatively low prevalence country. The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C
infection in England is estimated be around 0.4%.
1.4
How do you catch hepatitis C?
Hepatitis C is a blood borne virus infection. The virus is spread when blood from
an infected person gets into the bloodstream of another.
Today, injecting drug use is the most common way to acquire hepatitis C virus
infection. Individuals who inject drugs acquire their infections when they share
contaminated injecting equipment with other infected individuals.
In the United Kingdom blood donations have been screened for hepatitis C since
September 1991. Consequently, it is now very difficult to acquire hepatitis C virus
infection by blood transfusion. However, some people who received blood or
blood products before this date could be infected if they received blood from a
donor who was carrying the hepatitis C virus. It is also possible to acquire
hepatitis C virus infections by blood transfusion from transfusion in a country that
does not screen its blood for the virus.
Unlike many other blood borne viruses, sexual transmission is thought to be
relatively rare. Nevertheless, it may occur and people with new or casual sexual
partners are advised to use condoms to protect them against all sexually
transmitted infections.
Infection is not acquired through normal social contact, but it can occur in
situations where blood can be transferred from one person to another, for
example by sharing razors or toothbrushes. It is also possible to acquire hepatitis
Version: Final
Author: Chris Lines
Date: 10th May
2005
Page: 2 of 3
Status: Approved
National Public Health Service for Wales
Statement on Hepatitis C look back
C infection during body piercing (like tattooing or acupuncture) if sterile needles
are not used.
The risk of a mother infecting her newborn baby with hepatitis C is estimated to
be less than 10%. This risk is highest in mothers who are also infected with HIV
and in those who have particularly high levels of virus circulating in their blood.
Current regulations do not advise HCV-infected women against breast-feeding as
there is insufficient evidence to assess the risk of transmission via breast milk.
1.5
How long can you have the infection before developing
symptoms?
In the 80-85% of individuals who fail to clear their infections naturally, the
outcome of infection is extremely variable. Many people never develop any signs
or symptoms of liver disease in their lifetime and consequently may not even
know that they have been infected. Other people go on to develop serious liver
disease. It is not currently possible to work out who will progress to serious liver
disease and who will have only very mild, if any, disease.
In most cases the infection will not be apparent for many years. This is partly
because the liver has a remarkable capacity to 'cope' with the infection.
Symptoms do not often develop until the liver has been quite extensively
damaged. Alcohol consumption, acquiring the infection at an older age, and
being male, have all been shown to be associated with more progressive
disease.
1.6
How can hepatitis C be prevented or treated?
Prevention is centred on stopping the blood from infected individuals from coming
into contact with others. Injecting drug users are at high risk of infection and when
injecting cannot be avoided, sterile injecting equipment should always be used;
injecting equipment should never be shared. Similarly, individuals who undergo
body piercing should ensure that disposable sterile needles are used. In the
home, sharing of personal items, like toothbrushes and razors, should be avoided
and all wounds and cuts should be cleaned and covered with waterproof
dressings; blood spills should be cleaned-up with undiluted bleach. In a health
care setting, universal precautions should be adhered to; all blood, body fluids
and body tissues should be treated as potentially infectious at all times.
The treatment of choice for individuals with chronic hepatitis C infection is a
combination of two drugs: interferon and ribavirin. This combination therapy is
successful in clearing virus from the blood of around 40% of those treated.
However, not everybody is suitable for treatment or can tolerate it. Factors such
as age, sex, duration of infection, the strain of the virus, and the degree of
existing liver damage determine the effectiveness of treatment. New more
effective treatments are likely to become available in the near future.
Version: Final
Author: Chris Lines
Date: 10th May
2005
Page: 3 of 3
Status: Approved