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Friday, June 29, 2018
News Recap:
Canada:
Boomer Moms At High Risk For Hep C, Says Doctor. A quarter million Canadians are believed to have the hepatitis C virus at this moment, and many have no idea. Dr. Rod Russell says it’s really baby boomers at the highest risk, and to be specific, it’s our mothers, the women who gave birth before 1992, especially if they had blood transfusions during pregnancy. Their children are also at risk because if the mother received tainted blood, the baby could also be affected. Dr. Russel adds anybody in that demographic should get tested.
Health unit urges dental patients to get tested after child revealed to have hepatitis C. A central Ontario dentist is defending his practice after public health officials said two patients who had received dental services at his clinic tested positive for hepatitis C. Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed a child is one of two individuals who tested positive for Hepatitis C after receiving dental care at Joe Philip and Associates dental office between Jan. 1, 2012 and Dec. 18, 2017.
Other News:
Liver highlights from DDW 2018. Read some of the hepatology highlights from DDW 2018 presented by Healio, specifically dealing with viral hepatitis: Homeless veterans with HCV diagnosed, treated via PCP outreach; Plasma assay of methylated DNA markers detects liver cancer across all stages; HCV outcomes worse for patients with public insurance; Medicaid Exclusion from HBV therapy by AASLD criteria often leads to adverse outcomes.
DAA Therapy Highly Efficacious for HCV Treatment in Older Adults. A retrospective study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society shows that DAA therapy is highly efficacious in individuals greater than 65 years (97.7%) compared to those 75 years and older (95.8%). However, those 75 years are more likely to be at risk for significant drug-drug interactions and other complications.
NZ: Campaign to be first to wipe out hepatitis C. About 700 people in Gisborne have hepatitis C. Health professionals want to make this the first region in New Zealand to eradicate hepatitis C from the community. Next week sees the launch of a hep C eradication campaign.