Hepatitis outbreak's scope may be largest

[Guest guest]

Published Monday

March 17, 2003

Hepatitis outbreak's scope may be largest

BY JULIE ANDERSON

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

FREMONT, Neb. - The spread of a type of hepatitis C at a Fremont

cancer clinic probably ranks as the largest outbreak of its kind, an

official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

Dr. Macedo, epidemic intelligence service officer for the CDC,

addressed a forum Sunday at the Fremont City Auditorium on the local

outbreak.

He said authorities haven't found a larger incident in medical

literature.

The forum, which organizers said drew about 120 people, was sponsored

by a local support group formed after the outbreak that apparently

resulted from poor infection control at the now-closed Fremont Cancer

Center.

Topics included how the disease works and how carriers can cope.

" If we helped one person, then we were successful, " said Jill ,

a forum organizer.

survived breast cancer and thought she had escaped hepatitis

C, only to find out through a private test that she had the virus.

She is starting a nonprofit organization on the disease.

During the forum, three doctors discussed the history of the

outbreak, the process used to investigate it, the limited ways the

disease can be transmitted and the methods for treating it.

" Our mission is to give the community a chance to hear about what

hepatitis C is and isn't, " said Dr. Mark Mailliard, associate

professor of medicine and director of the hepatitis C program at the

University of Nebraska and the Veterans Administration Medical

Centers.

So far, more than 80 patients have been confirmed with the disease.

It progresses slowly and can lead to liver failure, liver cancer or

cirrhosis as long as 20 years after infection. Some experience early

symptoms, including jaundice, fever, loss of appetite and fatigue.

Macedo told audience members that in the Fremont outbreak, the fact

that many of the patients may have had immune systems suppressed by

cancer treatments made the investigation particularly challenging.

There was no medical history on testing in such cases, Macedo said.

The Fremont investigation may lead to new protocols for testing in

immune-suppressed patients.

In 's case, a blood test for an antibody response to hepatitis

C - normally very accurate - was negative. But another test that

checked for the actual presence of the virus was positive.

Mailliard said the blood of more than 300 people now is being

retested.

Said Macedo: " I believe that we are going to find some more, but it's

impossible to say how many. "

Dr. Tom Safranek, Nebraska's state epidemiologist, said the virus is

passed through blood-to-blood transmission, not casual contact, as

some in the community may fear.

That means those who have the disease can continue their everyday

activities - restaurant workers can keep their jobs, grandmothers can

continue to hold babies and even health-care workers can continue

their professions with proper training and precautions.

" It's actually a very difficult disease to transmit, " Safranek said.

Treatment of the disease has progressed in recent years, and

additional strides are on the horizon, Mailliard said.

A regime based on injections of interferon is used to drive virus

levels down as far as possible, Mailliard said.

He said he hopes that most of the patients who can take treatment

will see long-term remission.

Doctors will continue to study questions such as whether immune-

suppressed patients see more effects from hepatitis C and whether the

virus could bring back cancers more quickly than they might normally

recur.

http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0 & u_pg=36 & u_sid=684651

[Guest guest]

After checking my medical records i truly think hep c is a yellow fever vaccine gone haywire. and they still can't keep it clean - passing on prison blood through the years hasn't helped at all either. cj

[ ] Hepatitis outbreak's scope may be largest

Published Monday March 17, 2003 Hepatitis outbreak's scope may be largest BY JULIE ANDERSON WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER FREMONT, Neb. - The spread of a type of hepatitis C at a Fremont cancer clinic probably ranks as the largest outbreak of its kind, an official from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. Dr. Macedo, epidemic intelligence service officer for the CDC, addressed a forum Sunday at the Fremont City Auditorium on the local outbreak. He said authorities haven't found a larger incident in medical literature. The forum, which organizers said drew about 120 people, was sponsored by a local support group formed after the outbreak that apparently resulted from poor infection control at the now-closed Fremont Cancer Center. Topics included how the disease works and how carriers can cope. "If we helped one person, then we were successful," said Jill , a forum organizer. survived breast cancer and thought she had escaped hepatitis C, only to find out through a private test that she had the virus. She is starting a nonprofit organization on the disease. During the forum, three doctors discussed the history of the outbreak, the process used to investigate it, the limited ways the disease can be transmitted and the methods for treating it. "Our mission is to give the community a chance to hear about what hepatitis C is and isn't," said Dr. Mark Mailliard, associate professor of medicine and director of the hepatitis C program at the University of Nebraska and the Veterans Administration Medical Centers. So far, more than 80 patients have been confirmed with the disease. It progresses slowly and can lead to liver failure, liver cancer or cirrhosis as long as 20 years after infection. Some experience early symptoms, including jaundice, fever, loss of appetite and fatigue. Macedo told audience members that in the Fremont outbreak, the fact that many of the patients may have had immune systems suppressed by cancer treatments made the investigation particularly challenging. There was no medical history on testing in such cases, Macedo said. The Fremont investigation may lead to new protocols for testing in immune-suppressed patients. In 's case, a blood test for an antibody response to hepatitis C - normally very accurate - was negative. But another test that checked for the actual presence of the virus was positive. Mailliard said the blood of more than 300 people now is being retested. Said Macedo: "I believe that we are going to find some more, but it's impossible to say how many." Dr. Tom Safranek, Nebraska's state epidemiologist, said the virus is passed through blood-to-blood transmission, not casual contact, as some in the community may fear. That means those who have the disease can continue their everyday activities - restaurant workers can keep their jobs, grandmothers can continue to hold babies and even health-care workers can continue their professions with proper training and precautions. "It's actually a very difficult disease to transmit," Safranek said. Treatment of the disease has progressed in recent years, and additional strides are on the horizon, Mailliard said. A regime based on injections of interferon is used to drive virus levels down as far as possible, Mailliard said. He said he hopes that most of the patients who can take treatment will see long-term remission. Doctors will continue to study questions such as whether immune-suppressed patients see more effects from hepatitis C and whether the virus could bring back cancers more quickly than they might normally recur. http://www.omaha.com/index.php?u_np=0 & u_pg=36 & u_sid=684651