LANSING, Mich – May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. Do you know if you are at risk?
More than 4 million Americans have chronic hepatitis, bur more than 50 percent of them don't know they have it.
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To help increase awareness, Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to proclaim May as Hepatitis Awareness Month.
May 19 is Hepatitis Testing Day and Michiganders are encouraged to participate if they feel they might be at risk of contracting the disease.
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. The most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
“People can live for decades without symptoms, but over time, chronic hepatitis can cause serious health problems,” said Dr. Eden Wells, MDHHS chief medical executive. “Michigan residents are urged to learn the facts about hepatitis, particularly the steps they should take to protect themselves and how to identify their risk of the disease.”
The Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is found in the feces of people with hepatitis A. It is spread through contaminated food or water and through close contact with a person who has the virus.
Michigan has been experiencing an outbreak of hepatitis A since August 2016. As of May 16, 2018, there have been 836 reported cases, 671 hospitalizations and 27 deaths.
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable virus and those who could be at risk of getting the virus are encouraged to get the vaccine. Individuals who may be at risk are those with a history of injection and non-injection drug use, homelessness or transient housing, incarceration and men who have sex with men.
For more information on the hepatitis A outbreak in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/hepAoutbreak.
The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is transmitted from person to person through contaminated blood or body fluids. HBV can spread from infected mothers to their infants at birth, through unprotected sex, or through contact with the blood or body fluids of a person who has the virus.
In Michigan, there has been a decline in HBV diagnoses. That is likely a result of HBV vaccination efforts.
Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is a blood-borne pathogen, but unlike hepatitis A and B, there is no vaccine available for HCV. HCV is transmitted from person to person through the contaminated blood of an individual who is infected. The primary risk factor for HCV transmission is sharing needles, syringes or drug preparation equipment
The MDHHS said HCV cases have increased in Michigan, along with a rise in drug poisoning deaths involving prescription and non-prescription opioids.
In 2016, there were 1,733 opioid-overdose deaths reported compared to 639 in 2010. These numbers mirror a similar increase in HCV infections among adults aged 18-29 years old.
People can live with hepatitis B and C for decades without experiencing any symptoms or feeling sick. The only way to know if you are infected is through a blood test.
HCV treatments cure more than 90 percent of persons living with HCV. Early detection and linkage to care and treatment can help slow the disease's progression.
In recognition of Hepatitis Awareness Month, MDHHS urges all Michigan residents to:
- Learn the facts about hepatitis at Michigan.gov/hepatitis or Cdc.gov/hepatitis.
- Learn your risk for hepatitis and take the CDC’s 5-minute online Hepatitis Risk Assessment tool Cdc.gov/hepatitis/riskassessment.
- Get tested if you are at risk. Ask your healthcare provider for the test or find a hepatitis B or C testing and treatment site near you using the CDC’s testing site locator Gettested.cdc.gov.
- Protect yourself and your loved ones from hepatitis B. Ask your healthcare provider for the hepatitis B vaccine.
- Find out if you are at risk for hepatitis A by visiting Michigan.gov/hepatitisAoutbreak. If you are at risk, get vaccinated.