Blog
Maine CDC Encourages Steps to Protect Your Health from Hepatitis C
- By: Maureen Carland
- On: 06/03/2024 10:15:41
- In: Quality/Regulatory
“Viral hepatitis remains a significant public health concern here in Maine,” said Dr. Puthiery Va, Director of the Maine CDC. “The Maine CDC is working to ensure all Maine people and health care providers are aware of the updated testing recommendations and availability of effective treatment. By focusing on prevention and treatment of hepatitis C, we can help protect the health of Maine people.”
Hepatitis causes inflammation of the liver and can cause serious health problems, including liver damage and liver cancer. Although there is no vaccine to prevent hepatitis C, treatments are highly effective, well-tolerated, and can cure most people in as little as eight weeks. New hepatitis C infections have increased nationally as a result of the opioid crisis, misinformation about treatment, stigma, and other social determinants of health, leading to a new generation at risk of future liver cancer, cirrhosis, and premature death. Meanwhile, approximately 40 percent of people living with chronic hepatitis C are unaware of their status. New data spanning 2013 through 2022 revealed that only a third of people with a documented hepatitis C diagnosis nationally were cured over the past decade. For patients without health insurance under the age of 40, only one in six has been cured. Nationally, hepatitis C kills more people than HIV/AIDS.
To increase access to hepatitis C testing and treatment, the Maine CDC is strengthening patient navigation and linkages to care to help people with hepatitis C engage in care and curative treatment. As part of Hepatitis Awareness Month, Maine CDC reaffirms its commitment to making Maine a place where new hepatitis C infections are prevented, every person knows their status, and every person with viral hepatitis has access to high-quality health care and treatment free from stigma and discrimination.
Hepatitis C is one form of the viral disease. In the United States, the most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.
Many people with hepatitis do not have symptoms and do not know they are infected. If symptoms occur with an acute infection, they can appear anytime from 2 weeks to 6 months after exposure. Symptoms of acute hepatitis can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice. Symptoms of chronic viral hepatitis can take decades to develop.
Staff Contact: mcarland@mehca.org