"Hepatitis C Cases Cluster in States Hit Hard by Opioids" -Amy Norton
More than half of Americans with hepatitis C are living in just nine U.S. states – five of those in a region hit hard by the opioid epidemic, a new study shows. The findings offer the latest look at the fallout from the nation’s opioid crisis: It’s feeding new cases of hepatitis C – a serious and potentially fatal liver infection. "A lot of people think hepatitis C is 'over' in this country. But it's not over by a long shot,” said Douglas Dieterich, MD, director of the institute for liver medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Dieterich, who was not involved in the study, said the findings are no surprise. Hepatitis C is a blood-borne infection, and most transmissions occur through injecting drugs like heroin, when people share contaminated equipment.
— Douglas Dieterich, MD, Director, Institute of Liver Medicine, Professor, Liver Disease, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Additional coverage: Medical Xpress