The CDC reported that Hepatitis C infections tripled between 2010 and 2015, and most of the infected are IV drug users. Nationally reported infections grew from 850 cases in 2010 to 2,436 cases in 2015, and those affected were young people between the ages of 20 and 29. The states found to have twice the national average for Hepatitis C infections were Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, Tennessee, and West Virginia. Dr. John Ward, one of the directors of the study, shed light on the rise in infections. “These new infections are most frequently among young people who transition from taking prescription pills to injecting heroin, which has become cheaper and more easily available in some cases. In turn many — most, in some communities — people who inject drugs become infected with hepatitis C.” Dr. John Ward (Director of division of viral hepatitis at the CDC)
Ward and his colleagues believe a solution would be for states to adopt laws and policies that help IV drug users get resources to prevent and treat these infections.
Ward and his colleagues believe a solution would be for states to adopt laws and policies that help IV drug users get resources to prevent and treat these infections.
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