Leading cause of liver transplants

Hepatitis C can remain silent for 20 to 30 years, but all the while, fibrosis, or scar tissue, can be brewing that can eventually stop the liver from functioning.

“One of five people with chronic hepatitis C will get severe consequences to their health, Schreibman said. “Hepatitis C is responsible for 10,000 to 20,000 deaths annually and it’s the most common reason for liver transplantation in the U.S.”

Roughly 16,000 to 18,000 people await liver transplants every year, with only about 6,000 people receiving them, he said. Of the 25 to 30 liver transplants done at Hershey annually, most are because of hepatitis C, he said.

“People are dying while they wait,” Schreibman said. “I encourage organ donation every chance I get.”

Not everyone who is exposed to hepatitis C develops a chronic condition. About 15 to 20 percent of those infected will clear the virus on their own, but the majority will become chronic carriers who are likely to develop serious complications, Matisse said.

Testing involves a simple finger prick that can show results in 20 minutes. If positive for exposure to hepatitis C, a follow-up blood test will be needed to see whether the disease is active, she said.

“Usually people who have had risky behavior like IV drug use know they are at risk for it, but other people, like those who had a blood transfusion before 1992, may not even remember they had one,” Matisse said.

People often don’t want to admit they are at risk, so a blanket testing recommendation for a population known to be at high risk is a good idea, said Dr. John Goldman, infectious disease specialist with PinnacleHealth System in Harrisburg.

“There is a huge stigma attached to IV drug use so many people don’t want to tell their doctors about that,” he said. “Also, if someone used IV drugs 20 years ago and they never got sick, they may believe they’re not at risk. In reality, probably about 80 percent of all IV drug users eventually become infected. The problem is you don’t know you have it until your liver stops working.”

Treatment brings cure

While finding out you have hepatitis C may be unsettling, most of the time, the disease can be effectively treated with a combination of three medications given over six months to a year.

However, the existing treatments can cause some pretty nasty side effects, such as fatigue, nausea, depression and anemia. Because of the side effects, doctors said it can be challenging to get people to complete the treatment.

“Fortunately there are a whole slew of new drugs in the pipeline with fewer side effects and better cure rates,” Goldman said.

“Hepatitis C is evolving into a very treatable disorder, with cure rates of 90 to 100 percent in preliminary studies of these new drugs,” Schreibman said. “It’s a very exciting time for us.”

Matisse invited anyone interested in the next round of free testing at Jackson Siegelbaum or in more information about its Hepatitis C. Support Group, which is on hiatus due to dwindling attendance, to call the office information line at 717-525-6445.

If you’re a baby boomer – born between 1945 and 1965 – you should be tested for hepatitis C, according to a recommendation from the federal Centers for Disease Control.

If that comes as a surprise to you, you’re not alone.

“The reason why there is such a robust statement about it is that it’s estimated that 75 to 85 percent of people who are infected with chronic hepatitis C were born between 1945 and 1965,” said Dr. Ian Schreibman, hepatologist at Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, who said 90 percent of his practice are hepatitis C patients.

The CDC estimates that nearly 3.5 million Americans have hepatitis C, a virus that is transmitted through contact with contaminated blood products – most often through shared needles in illicit drug use. The virus can also be spread through sexual contact.

However, about 75 percent of those infected don’t know they have it and won’t until symptoms show up in 20 to 40 years. Unchecked all those years, hepatitis C can lead to serious liver problems, such as cirrhosis, cancer or liver failure.

“Most people don’t know they should be tested. There’s a big push to get the word out about it now because baby boomers are showing up with cirrhosis or liver cancer and it turns out the cause is hepatitis C,” said Deb Matisse, a certified nurse practitioner atJackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology in Camp Hill, which offered free screenings in July that drew about 30 people.

Back in the 1960s and 70s, when baby boomers were perhaps experimenting with drugs, hepatitis C hadn’t been discovered. The virus became known in 1987, but adequate screening of blood supplies didn’t begin until 1992, putting at risk people who had prior blood transfusions, organ transplants or other exposure to blood products.

Carol Ann “Mikki” Jada 62 of Colorado Springs passed away December 30, 2014 in Colorado Springs after a short illness.

 She was born January 23 1952 in Buffalo NY to Anthony and Margaret Jada who are deceased.

 Mikki grew up and attended elementary and high school in Buffalo prior to moving to Colorado Springs.

She previously worked as a gardener. Gardening allowed Mikki to enjoy her loves of both the great outdoors and beautiful flowering plants providing her with peace and tranquility.

She also had a passion for her little green friends and kept a variety of frogs, both of the living variety and also the figurative. When you received one of her beautiful and thoughtful handmade greeting cards you could always expect to find a little frog hiding somewhere.

She also loved the company of her furry little friends and was a loving cat owner for many years.

Mikki was a beautiful, caring and thoughtful person, who even in the most difficult of times, managed to offer the kindest of words to those who cared for her.

She is survived by her son Eric Means of Colorado Springs, a brother, Michael Jada of Chandler AZ, and her sister Bonnie Delaney of Colorado Springs. In addition to her parents, Mikki was preceded in death by her brother Daniel Jada. Mikki is also survived by her nephews Daniel, Mark and David Jada and Michael Delaney and her nieces Kim Jada and Jada Delaney, also greats, Michael, Max, Jaden, Brooke and Skyler. Also, Jose Deynes, Ron Luna and Jeanie Rhoades each held a special place in her heart.