January 4, 2018
What’s New
Hepatitis C Increases Attributed to Opioid Epidemic. In a new report published in the American Journal of Public Health, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) explain findings that suggest the national increase in acute Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is related to the country’s opioid epidemic and rising rates of injection drug use. Using data from the CDC’s hepatitis surveillance system and from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) national database on admissions to substance use disorder treatment facilities, the researchers found that the rises in both HCV infection and reported treatment admissions are concurrent. One year ago, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issued a National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan that includes integrating viral hepatitis prevention and care with primary health care services as a way of better meeting needs of people in rural areas, where recent research shows higher impact of the opioid epidemic.
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