Liver virus's silent spread
Thursday July 26th, 2012
The number of people in Britain infected with the hepatitis C virus is approaching a quarter of a million - and this is having an impact on illness, according to stark new figures published today.
The Health Protection Agency released the figures in advance of World Hepatitis Day on Saturday.
It says some 216,000 people are infected with the virus - and some 9,908 were diagnosed last year. This compared with fewer than 8,000 diagnoses the year before.
In 2010 some 323 people died from liver disease caused by the virus - compared with 98 in 1996.
The virus is commonly spread by people sharing needles but was also spread by contaminated blood before the problem was stopped 20 years ago.
Experts say the spread can be prevented by treatment with modern anti-viral drugs.
Dr Helen Harris, of the HPA, said many of the infected people do not know they carry the virus.
She said: "Although our latest report shows that we are having a number of successes in our fight against hepatitis C, many people continue to become seriously ill from this preventable infection, which is usually treatable if caught early enough.
"We must therefore redouble our efforts and continue to develop new schemes to raise awareness in at risk communities and ensure that individuals who may have been exposed to the virus are tested, diagnosed and treated early, before they become seriously ill."
The World Health Organisation said hepatitis infections are killing a million people a year globally. Five viruses have been identified - A,B,C,D and E.
Tags: Flu & Viruses | Gastroenterology | UK News | World Health
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