According to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), prescription opioid abuse appears to be what is fueling the growing number of hepatitis C infections in Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, and Virginia. Between 2006 and 2012, the rates of acute hepatitis C infections tripled among young people in rural Appalachian states, with 73 percent of hepatitis C patients claiming they injected prescription drugs and other substances. Nearly 30,000 new infections occurred nationwide in 2013, as estimated by the CDC, with hepatitis C concentrated in areas with high rates of opioid abuse. USA Today’s Health report has the full story.
Last Updated on April 24, 2020 by Aimed Alliance
