Hepatitis C rates spike in four states: 3 takeaways

Rates of hepatitis C infections in people age 30 or under more than tripled from 2006 to 2012 in four Appalachian states — Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, according to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From 2006 to 2012, a total of 1,377 cases of acute hepatitis C infection were reported to CDC from Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. Of the 1,374 cases with a recorded age and classified as either urban or nonurban, 616 (44.8 percent) were age 30 or under, the study found.

Here are three takeaways from the study:

1. The sharp increase in hepatitis C infections in these states is linked to drug abuse.

2. From 2006 to 2012, these four states experienced an increase in the number of adolescents and young adults (age 12 to 29) admitted to substance abuse treatment programs for opioid dependency, with prescription opioid abuse accounting for about one-third of all treatment admissions (compared with 8.3 percent of admissions for heroin), according to the study.

3. The CDC said the regional increase in cases of hepatitis C raises concerns about the potential for an increase in HIV infections because illicit drug use is a risk factor for both hepatitis C and HIV infection. "Integrated healthcare services are needed to treat substance abuse and prevent and treat bloodborne infections deriving from illicit drug use behaviors," the CDC said. "Because persons who inject drugs underutilize health services, additional efforts are urgently needed to enlist them into substance abuse treatment, ensure they are tested for (hepatitis C virus), and link those with (hepatitis C virus) infection into care to receive appropriate treatment."