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The increase in the number of
persons infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) in central Wisconsin is
attributed to the growing popularity of the drug heroin. In the year 2000, when
the state began tracking HCV infections, there were 24 cases of HCV infection
in Langlade, Oneida, and Lincoln counties. At present, there are 50 confirmed
cases in two counties—Marathon and Portage. A 2011 study by CDC and the
Wisconsin Division of Public Health, with assistance from local county health
departments, indicated that the primary cause of hepatitis C infection was
sharing needles to inject heroin.
Jim Cramm, a Marshfield police
department detective who investigates drug crime in Wisconsin, stated that
heroin has become more common, as it is cheaper than prescription opioid drugs.
Cramm also said that after drugs in the opioid oxycodone family were
reformulated in 2010 to prevent abuse, users turned to heroin, which has
similar effects. He explained how it is brought through Chicago into
Wisconsin’s smaller communities.
Melanie Baehr, Portage County’s
Health Department nursing supervisor, stated that the problem of HCV is further
complicated by the fact that that approximately 75 percent of persons with HCV
infection are unaware of it, as there usually are no symptoms in the early
stages of the disease. She suggests that preventing transmission of hepatitis C
involves counseling those who are infected about risks and prevention methods.
The Friends of AIDS Foundation is
dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for HIV positive individuals and
empowering people to make healthy choices to prevent the spread of the HIV
virus. To learn more about The Friends of AIDS Foundation, please visit: http://www.friendsofaids.org.
TOGETHER WE REMAIN STRONG!
