Irish Independent By Breda Heffernan Tuesday May 20 2008
UP to 20,000 Irish people may be infected with the "silent killer" Hepatitis C -- with the vast majority having no idea until it's too late, according to health campaigners.
Over 1,600 people tested positive for Hep C last year, up by almost a third from in 2006.
The number of cases of hepatitis worldwide far exceeds that of HIV yet, worryingly, most Irish people are unaware of its prevalence or how it can be transmitted. Hepatitis is caused by a virus, A, B or C, that attacks the liver and can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure and, in some cases, death. It can lie dormant for many years before the first symptoms start to emerge.
Launching World Hepatitis Day in Dublin yesterday, campaigners said there is still a stigma attached to the disease with most people believing it is only transmitted through the sharing of needles by drug addicts.
Tattoos
In fact people from all walks of life can become infected through everyday actions such as sharing personal items, including toothbrushes and razors, or getting tattoos or body piercings with infected needles. Hep C can be passed from mother to child during childbirth, while Hep B can be contracted through sexual contact.
Olivia Carr, spokesperson for the Blood Borne Virus Forum, a group of voluntary and statutory agencies, said: "People should consider being tested if they have ever injected illicit drugs, even once in the distant past; had a tattoo or body piercing using an unsterilised needle, or are uncertain about the sterility of a tattoo or body piercing they received; or if they lived in or received medical treatment in a country with high rates of hepatitis.
"Most people are not aware they have hepatitis until they become chronically ill. Education is essential to increase knowledge on the methods of prevention, as without knowledge we are all at risk."
In 2005, Ireland had the highest rate of reported cases of Hep C of all EU member states who provided data. According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, three people tested positive for Hep B and 24 people for Hep C each week during 2006.
People infected with Hep C typically experience liver damage over 10 to 50 years. Symptoms include chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle and joint pains, anxiety or depression and tenderness in the upper-right area of the abdomen. However, many with this strain may not experience any symptoms at all.
