Hepatitis C rates jump in four central Appalachian states: CDC

Rates of hepatitis C infections more than tripled in four Appalachian states from 2006 to 2012, fueled by prescription drug abuse among those who inject drugs, especially in rural areas, U.S. health officials said on Thursday. In those four states alone, hepatitis C infections rose 364 percent from 2006 to 2012. The CDC warned that while rates of HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are currently low in these four states, the increase in hepatitis C infections raises concerns about HIV infections, which are also often spread by contaminated needles. Hepatitis C is a contagious liver infection spread primarily through contact with the blood of an infected person.
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