PRNewswire - November 12, 1999

"We believe the hep C infection to already be at epidemic proportions in California. There is still no vaccine to protect us from this virus," said Kathy Barberich, speaking on behalf of the California Hepatitis C Coalition and lifestyle columnist for the Fresno Bee. "We must protect ourselves through education and screening. We need to do it on a statewide level. If infected individuals are identified, they can then take steps to retain their health, stop the spread of the virus and seek treatment."

The estimates for infection prevalence come from a CDC estimate that 1.8% of the general population is infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV). However, studies indicate that minority groups are more at risk for hepatitis C. According to John Vierling, M.D., F.A.C.P., Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, California's diverse population may mean California exceeds this national average. Because of a lack of funding within DHS, California does not have statistics available to confirm or deny this assertion.

"We have been unable to find any widespread effort on the part of the Department of Health Services to warn citizens about the virus or investigate the prevalence of the disease," said Phyllis Borchardt, Director of the San Diego Chapter of the American Liver Foundation, a California Hepatitis C Coalition member organization.

The California Department of Corrections appears similarly unprepared to deal with the threat of this virus. Although, a 1994 report from the DHS, Office of AIDS, found a 40% infection rate for hep C in the California prisons, there has been no plan conceived or action taken to stop the spread of the virus within the prison system. In fact, the Wall Street Journal reported in 1997 that the department returned more than $1.8 million to the California general fund. The funds had been earmarked for education and health screening.

"To date, there does not appear to be any plan to act on this menace. We know that hep C is running rampant in our prisons and, with the tight living conditions, spreading the virus is an unavoidable fact rather than just a possibility. This is a dangerous situation for prisoners, corrections staff and the public as these infected prisoners are released to the street on parole. The California Correctional Peace Officers Association (CCPOA) is urging the Department of Corrections to act on this issue," said Jeff Thompson, CCPOA, a California Hepatitis C Coalition member organization.

"We were disappointed that the Department of Corrections chose not to attend the interim hearing," said Borchardt. "Their absence from this hearing indicates to me that hep C is not a priority for them. If that is the case, it is reprehensible. Corrections has the opportunity to make a big impact on the virus because of the high (40%) infection rate in the system and a target group that is easy to reach to educate. I'd like the opportunity to ask them why they are not making that kind of effort."

Four times more people are infected by HCV than are infected by HIV, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Hepatitis C infects its victims and lives largely undetected in the body for 20 to 30 years. It is generally discovered after it has caused severe damage to the liver. The disease is often called "The Silent Killer."

Individuals who received a blood transfusion before 1992, have used intravenous drugs, inhaled cocaine, received a tissue or organ donation, or are health care workers or military veterans, are at risk and should consult their physicians about being screened for hep C.

Table 1: Chart based on Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

estimates of 1.8% of population infected with HCV.
STATE POPULATION PREVALENCE RATE
California 32,268,000 680,824
Texas 19,439,000 349,902
New York 18,137,000 326,466
Florida 14,654,000 263,772
Pennsylvania 12,020,000 216,360
Illinois 11,896,000 214,128
Ohio 11,186,000 201,348
Michigan 9,774,000 175,932
New Jersey 8,053,000 144,954
Georgia 7,486,000 134,748
North Carolina 7,425,000 133,650
Virginia 6,734,000 121,212
Massachusetts 6,118,000 110,124
Indiana 5,864,000 105,552
Washington 5,610,000 100,980
Missouri 5,402,000 97,236
Tennessee 5,368,000 96,624
Wisconsin 5,170,000 93,060
Maryland 5,094,000 91,692
Minnesota 4,686,000 84,348
Arizona 4,555,000 81,990
Louisiana 4,352,000 78,336
Alabama 4,319,000 77,742
Kentucky 3,908,000 70,344
Colorado 3,893,000 70,074
South Carolina 3,760,000 67,680
Oklahoma 3,317,000 59,706
Connecticut 3,270,000 58,860
Oregon 3,243,000 58,374
Iowa 2,852,000 51,336
Mississippi 2,731,000 49,158
Kansas 2,595,000 46,710
Arkansas 2,523,000 45,414
Utah 2,059,000 37,062
West Virginia 1,816,000 32,688
New Mexico 1,730,000 31,140
Nevada 1,677,000 30,186
Nebraska 1,657,000 29,826
Maine 1,242,000 22,356
Idaho 1,210,000 21,780
Hawaii 1,187,000 21,366
New Hampshire 1,173,000 21,114
Rhode Island 987,000 17,766
Montana 879,000 15,822
South Dakota 738,000 13,284
Delaware 732,000 13,176
North Dakota 641,000 11,538
Alaska 609,000 10,962
Vermont 549,000 9,882
District of Columbia 529,000 9,522
Wyoming 480,000 8,640

SOURCE California Hepatitis C Coalition

CONTACT: Mary Odbert, 916-658-0144, or Kassy Perry, 916-296-8303, both for the California Hepatitis C Coalition/
991112
PR991107

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