Public Health England (PHE) has urged people to get free testing for hepatitis C virus (HCV). This advisory comes after a new data showed lack of disease awareness, and the factors that can put people at risk for infection. With World Hepatitis Day approaching, PHE in partnership with The Hepatitis C Trust is increasing efforts to diagnose and treat patients living with HCV unknowingly. This effort could help achieve the World Health Organization’s target of eliminating HCV as a major public health threat by 2030.
Earlier a study commissioned by the Hepatitis C Trust showed 80% of people were aware of HCV, but <40% knew it infects the liver and <30% knew the virus is curable. With 200,000 people in the United Kingdom thought to be living with chronic HCV, challenges in awareness remain a barrier to timely diagnosis and treatment.
If left untreated, HCV can cause severe liver damage and lead to death. It usually spreads through blood-to-blood contact and often does not have any specific symptoms until significant liver damage is caused. Influenza-like symptoms, tiredness and abdominal pain, which could be easily ignored or mistaken for other conditions may be experienced by some patients with HCV.
PHE strongly encourages patients belonging to any of the below high-risk categories to get tested for HCV immediately, even if they do not have any symptoms:
- received a blood transfusion before September 1991 or a blood product before 1986 in the United Kingdom;
- shared needles to inject drugs, even if just once or many years ago;
- had medical/dental treatment abroad under unsterile conditions;
- had a tattoo, piercing, acupuncture, electrolysis or semi-permanent makeup using unsterilised equipment;
- had unprotected sex with someone who might have hepatitis C and
- shared a razor/toothbrush with someone who might have hepatitis C.
