Chronic hepatitis C is recently on the decline in Alaska, state says

The Alaska authorities nationalist wellness laboratory successful Anchorage is seen connected Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. (Yereth Rosen/Alaska Beacon)

Cases of hepatitis C person declined by astir a 3rd successful Alaska, according to nan astir caller information from nan state’s Health Department. This mirrors a nationalist trend, says a bulletin published by nan Alaska Department of Health’s epidemiology conception past week.  

While nan bulletin said that nan logic for nan diminution isn’t clear, it suggested 2 factors. 

One imaginable logic for nan diminution is an summation successful screenings and curen efforts, nan bulletin said. For example, nan number of reported tests from Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium accrued passim nan study period, pinch nan consortium administering much than 10,000 tests annually, according to nan bulletin. 

But Dr. Brian McMahon, a hepatologist and elder advisor to nan consortium’s liver illness program, said accrued screening tin besides consequence successful nan authorities uncovering much cases.

“The much progressive you are successful screening, nan much you’re going to find,” he said.  

American Indian and Alaska Native group had nan highest complaint of reported chronic hepatitis C infection successful nan state, pinch 223 infections per 100,000 people. McMahon said that whitethorn beryllium an overrepresentation successful information because of nan predominant screening.

“We can’t opportunity for judge that it’s skewing nan results, but it’s decidedly making nan numbers successful Alaska Native group overmuch higher than successful different populations, because nan Alaska tribal organizations are truthful fierce astir doing screening,” McMahon said. 

The percent of chronic hepatitis C first identified successful a correctional mounting successful Alaska accrued from 15% during 2016-2019 to 20% during 2020-2023. The bulletin linked this summation to expanded testing and curen by nan Alaska Department of Corrections since 2020. The bulletin besides noted that hepatitis C testing and treatments person been offered to each incarcerated group successful Alaska starting successful precocious 2023. 

Unlike hepatitis A and hepatitis B, hepatitis C has nary vaccine. However, antiviral therapy is disposable aft an infection occurs. 

“I’ve been a expert for sixty years and it’s almost a miracle,” said McMahon astir nan treatment, which has complete a 90% cure rate, according to nan CDC.

People pinch chronic hepatitis C tin stay asymptomatic for decades, nan bulletin besides said, meaning that group are often unaware that they are infected. 

From 2016 to 2023, location were 5,352 caller cases of chronic hepatitis C reported successful nan state.

The bulletin suggested different logic for nan statewide diminution successful infections: much group are smoking narcotics than injecting them. The virus, which causes liver disease, is dispersed done interaction pinch infected blood. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, transmission is astir communal done needles, specified arsenic sharing contaminated needles to inject drugs. According to recent data from nan CDC, Americans crossed nan federation are shifting distant from injecting narcotics and toward smoking them. As a result, nan transmission of hepatitis C done contaminated needles is perchance mitigated. 

According to nan bulletin, astir of nan reports of infection were successful adults aged 18-39 years old. Males relationship for 66% of chronic hepatitis C cases reported to nan state. The Southeast, Gulf Coast, and Matanuska-Susitna regions of nan authorities had nan highest rates of hepatitis C, which has been accordant since astatine slightest 2003. 

The bulletin besides referenced recent analysis from nan CDC, which estimated that 34% of group pinch hepatitis C successful Alaska betwixt 2013 and 2022 achieved “viral clearance” aliases were fundamentally cured. This is akin to nan nationalist rate, but falls short of nan 58% target group by nan U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  

The bulletin recommended that everyone 18 years aged aliases older beryllium tested for hepatitis C astatine slightest erstwhile successful their lifetime. Pregnant women should beryllium screened during each pregnancy, and group who inject narcotics should beryllium tested periodically.