World Hepatitis Day on Saturday is to raise awareness for all three of the Hepatitis viruses, highlighting Hepatitis C.
Jennifer Adams is the Harm Reduction Coordinator at the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit. She says the Hepatitis viruses causes inflammation of the liver and the three types of Hepatitis are contracted through different things like food and blood.
Adams says the reason they are highlighting Hepatitis C in particular, is because most people contract it when using drug equipment and unsterile tattoo and piercing practices.
People who received a blood transfusion before 1992 may be at risk as well, because they were not screening the blood at that time.
Other risk factors include: receiving medical, dental or personal services using contaminated equipment, a parent could infect a child during pregnancy and childbirth, sharing personal items like nail clippers, razors and toothbrushes and also being exposed to blood during sexual activity.
Adams says they don’t know the exact number of people affected by Hepatitis C in Ontario as the test is in two stages. The first part checks to see if someone’s been exposed to the disease and the second part shows if someone is actually sick with the virus. Those two parts are given to the Health Unit together and right now they don’t have a way of separating them to see who has the virus versus someone who was exposed but doesn’t have it.
While the number of Hepatitis C cases are generally decreasing in Canada, Adam says they are really pushing for people to get tested.
Adams notes many Canadians are unaware they have Hepatitis C as the symptoms may go undetected and might not show for many years. The virus could seem like flu like symptoms to start, which Adams notes is tricky because many other viruses present themselves that way too. She says over 200,000 Canadians could be living with chronic Hepatitis C.
For more information about the viruses visit the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit’s website here or call the Health Unit’s toll free number 1-800-660-5853.