Mediaboss Marketing

FAIRWAY, KS (KCTV) -

Hepatitis C deaths are on the rise, according to reports, and people might be surprised to hear who is contracting the disease.

At one point, it was recommended that only those with previous high-risk behavior, such as those who experimented with drugs and needles, be tested for hepatitis C. But now, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said they are seeing a certain age group is at risk.

The CDC recommends that those born between the years 1946 to 1964 be screened for hepatitis C. Their reasoning is because the CDC said they have seen an increase in the liver-attacking disease in Baby Boomers, largely because injection drug use was frequent in this age group, and even one-time exposure to injection drug use carries a high risk.

"Those Baby Boomers are now aging and since hep C is a disease that has a latency period of 20 to 40 years, it takes that long to develop symptoms," said Dr. Fredric Regenstein with Saint Luke's Health System.

Regenstein, a liver transplant doctor at St. Luke's Health System, said the disease has struck more patients than the well-known AIDS virus.

"It's a very, very common disease. It's the No. 1 reason why we see so many liver transplants," he said.

Hepatitis is a viral infection that can cause swelling and inflammation of the liver and can lead to damage of the organ, cancer and death.

But the good news is, it is curable.

The treatment can be costly with amounts up to $48,000 for a six- to 12-month supply of drugs and it's a very challenging treatment. But Regenstein said medication is improving and testing is critical.

"This virus can be cured. Once it's suppressed, it has nowhere to go," he said.

A vaccine for hepatitis B has been recommended for all infants since the early 1990s, eliminating its prevalence among younger generations. Hepatitis C wasn't discovered until 1989 and has no vaccine.

Two-thirds of people with hepatitis C are unaware that they have the virus, because it takes a few decades to show itself.

Because of this shocking realization, federal health officials are considering whether Baby Boomers should get a one-time blood test to check if their livers harbor this ticking time bomb.

The CDC also recommends even those who may have gotten tattoos or blood transfusions years ago should be tested for hepatitis C.

Copyright 2012 KCTV (Meredith Corp.)  All rights reserved.

Read the original here:
Hepatitis C surpasses HIV as killer, baby boomers most at risk