The Alaska Section of Epidemiology is reporting an enormous spike in the number of young Alaskans infected with Hepatitis C, possibly because of rising drug use.
In a bulletin published Thursday, two members of the section found that rates of infection among Alaskans aged 18 to 29 have risen rapidly between 2011 and 2015. Southeast Alaska registered the biggest increase, with the rate of infection rising 490 percent.
In 2011, the Southeast rate of infection was 187 per 100,000 people. In 2015, the rate was 247 per 100,000. The 100,000-person scale is a common one used in public health.
Hepatitis C is a bloodborne infection that harms the liver. Untreated cases can lead to cirrosis and liver cancer.
It is commonly spread when drug users share needles, and Southeast Alaska’s rising heroin use rate is believed to be contributing to the spread of the disease.
The rates of disease reported in Thursday’s study should not be considered the final word; many Hepatitis C sufferers are not diagnosed until years after the initial infection.
The report published Thursday concluded that efforts to decrease injectable drug use will help fight the spread of Hepatitis C.
