Hepatitis C affects so many people and yet not recognized as serious public health problem

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, and you may find it surprising to learn an estimated 4 million Americans have been infected with Hepatitis C. This silent disease is three to five times more prevalent than HIV. Hepatitis C is the most common cause of liver transplants in the U.S.

“Hepatitis and Liver Cancer: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C, Available online at http://www.iom.edu/Reports/2010/Hepatitis-and-Liver-Cancer-A-National-Strategy-for-Prevention-and-Control-of-Hepatitis-B-and-C.aspx. Last accessed April 23, 2010.”

Liver expert and Director of Hepatology at New York University Hepatology Associates - Plainview, N.Y. Dr. Melissa Palmer explains:

"It's astonishing that Hepatitis C affects so many people and yet, as a new institute of medicine study emphasized, it is not widely recognized as a serious public health problem. Many people infected with Hepatitis C experience no symptoms and, for those who do, symptoms may be vague and may not show up for years or even decades after exposure."

Hepatitis C is primarily spread through blood contact, including unsterilized needles or medical equipment, injection or intranasal drug use, or blood transfusions and medical procedures performed before 1992. If you think you may have been exposed to Hepatitis C, get tested and ask about treatment.

SOURCE Genentech