Download Hepatitis C - Kalamazoo County

K A L A M A Z O O C O U N T Y H E A LT H A N D C O M M U N I T Y
SERVICES
NICOLE WILSON, RN
WHAT IS HEPATITIS C?
 Hepatitis C virus is a bloodborne pathogen that affects the liver.
 It ranges in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness that attacks
the liver. Hepatitis C is classified as either “acute” or “chronic.”
ACUTE HEPATITIS VS. CHRONIC HEPATITIS
 Acute Hepatitis C virus infection is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6
months after someone is exposed to the Hepatitis C virus. For most people, acute infection
leads to chronic infection.
 Chronic Hepatitis C virus infection is a long-term illness that occurs when the Hepatitis
C virus remains in a person’s body. Hepatitis C virus infection can last a lifetime and lead to
serious liver problems, including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or liver cancer.
SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE HEPATITIS C
 If symptoms occur, the average time is 6–7 weeks after exposure, but this can range from 2 weeks
to 6 months.
 Approximately 70%–80% of people with acute Hepatitis C do not have any symptoms. Those that
do have symptoms, they may experience:
 Fever
 Fatigue
 Loss of appetite
 Nausea
 Vomiting
 Abdominal pain
 Dark urine
 Clay-colored bowel movements
 Joint pain
 Jaundice (yellow color in the skin or eyes)
SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC HEPATITIS C
 Most people with Chronic Hepatitis C do not have any symptoms.
REPORTED CASES OF ACUTE HEPATITIS C
 Increased 44.3% from 2011 to 2012
 Increased 20.3% to 2,138 cases in 2013
 Increased 2.6% to 2,194 cases in 2014
 Increased 11% to 2,436 cases in 2015.
 The increase in acute HCV case
reports reflects new infections
associated with rising rates of
injection-drug use, and, to a much
lesser extent, improved case detection
PERSONS WHO SHOULD BE TESTED
FOR HCV INFECTION
 Born from 1945 through 1965
 Current or former injection drug user, even if you injected only one time or many years ago.
 Ever treated for a blood clotting problem before 1987.
 Received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before July 1992.
 On long-term hemodialysis treatment.
 Have abnormal liver tests or liver disease.
 Work in health care or public safety and were exposed to blood through a needle stick or other
sharp object injury.
 Infected with HIV.
 Children born to HCV-positive mothers (to avoid detecting maternal antibody, these children
should not be tested before age 18 months)
HEALTH COMPLICATIONS OF CHRONIC
HCV INFECTION
 Chronic Hepatitis C results in long-term health problems, including:
 liver damage, liver failure, liver cancer, or even death.
 It is the leading cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer and the most common reason for liver
transplantation in the United States.
 Approximately 19,000 people die every year from Hepatitis C related liver disease.
TREATMENT FOR HCV INFECTION
Can acute Hepatitis C be treated?
 Yes, acute hepatitis C can be treated. Acute infection can clear on its own without treatment in
about 25% of people. If acute hepatitis C is diagnosed, treatment does reduce the risk that
acute hepatitis C will become a chronic infection. Acute hepatitis C is treated with the same
medications used to treat chronic Hepatitis C. However, the optimal treatment and when it
should be started remains uncertain.
Can chronic Hepatitis C be treated?
 Yes. There are several medications available to treat chronic Hepatitis C, including new
treatments that appear to be more effective and have fewer side effects than previous options.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) maintains a complete list of approved treatments.
There are six different genotypes of hepatitis C. The figure shows the global distribution of these genotypes and
their subtypes. In the United States, genotypes 1, 2, and 3, are the most common. In Michigan genotypes 1a and
1b account for 89% of reported genotypes.
The Good and The
Bad….
HCV TREATMENT INSURANCE COVERAGE
 On Tuesday March 1st, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
(MDHHS) announced that Michigan Medicaid would provide coverage for new medications
to treat hepatitis C virus (HCV) for patients that meet pre-approval criteria.
“Baby Boomers,” those born between 1945 and 1965, are five times more likely than other adults to be infected with hepatitis C
according to national statistics. CDC now recommends one-time hepatitis C testing of everyone born between 1945 and 1965.
MDHHS data shows that the number of new chronic hepatitis C diagnoses in persons born between 1945 and 1965 is greater
than any other birth cohort.
KALAMAZOO COUNTY HCV 2016
Young Adults Ever injected: Yes (57.1%), No (4.8%), UNK (35.7)
HCV INFECTIONS INCREASE IN
MICHIGAN AMONG YOUNG ADULTS
 An emerging epidemic of HCV in young adults ages 18-29 has been identified in areas across
the US. The increase in HCV cases in this age group is due to sharing of injection drug
equipment and works related to the concurrent opiate and heroin epidemics.
 A vast majority of chronic HCV cases aged 18-29 years old who were diagnosed in 2015 were
white, non-Hispanic, and non-Arab with an approximately 50/50 split between males and
females. 86.7% reported a history of IVDU.
REFERENCES
CDC.Gov
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/
MDHHS.gov
http://www.michigan.gov/documents/mdhhs/Hepatitis_B_and_C_Annual_Report_2015_530584_
7.pdf