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What Measures Are Taken to Prevent the Spread of Hep C?

An estimated 200 million people around the world are infected with hepatitis C, and the highest rates of infection are found in African countries, according to the C. Everett Koop Institute at Dartmouth. Public health campaigns, blood testing and treatments are the most radical measures being taken to prevent the spread of this disease.

  1. Public Health Campaign

    • The most aggressive way that governments and agencies are trying to mitigate the spread of Hepatitis C is through public health campaigns. Educating the public through websites, billboards, public announcements and school assemblies has been a main way to disseminate information on the transmission, symptoms and treatment options of Hepatitis C.

    Treatment

    • Treatment options are used not only to mitigate the symptoms of Hepatitis C, but to eliminate the virus from the body.

      A few treatment options to eliminate the virus include:

      -Alpha Interferon, a regiment for people infected with chronic hepatitis C.

      - Ribavirin, an oral antiviral treatment. Ribavirin is taken with Alpha Interferon for a greater success rate in eliminating the virus.

      -Combination Therapy, a very effective treatment option that has eradicated most HCV RNA in up to 70 percent of patients.

      While these options have all been proven to eliminate hepatitis C from some patients, not all patients who are treated will recover.

    Blood Testing

    • Hepatitis C is spread through blood-to-blood contact, so blood testing is now imperative, especially when donating blood or organs. In addition, those who had blood transfusions or clotting factor concentrates before 1992 and 1987, respectively, should be tested for Hepatitis C, as the testing mechanisms now in place to detect infected blood was not yet available, according to the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.

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