May 19 is Hepatitis Testing Day
LANSING, Mich – May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. Do you know if you are at risk?
More than 4 million Americans have chronic hepatitis, bur more than 50 percent of them don’t know they have it.
To help increase awareness, Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) are joining the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to proclaim May as Hepatitis Awareness Month.
May 19 is Hepatitis Testing Day and Michiganders are encouraged to participate if they feel they might be at risk of contracting the disease.
Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. The most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
“People can live for decades without symptoms, but over time, chronic hepatitis can cause serious health problems,” said Dr. Eden Wells, MDHHS chief medical executive. “Michigan residents are urged to learn the facts about hepatitis, particularly the steps they should take to protect themselves and how to identify their risk of the disease.”
The Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is found in the feces of people with hepatitis A. It is spread through contaminated food or water and through close contact with a person who has the virus.
Michigan has been experiencing an outbreak of hepatitis A since August 2016. As of May 16, 2018, there have been 836 reported cases, 671 hospitalizations and 27 deaths.
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable virus and those who could be at risk of getting the virus are encouraged to get the vaccine. Individuals who may be at risk are those with a history of injection and non-injection drug use, homelessness or transient housing, incarceration and men who have sex with men.
For more information on the hepatitis A outbreak in Michigan, visit Michigan.gov/hepAoutbreak.