[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 18, 2010)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3903-S3904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NATIONAL HEPATITIS AWARENESS MONTH

  Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of National 
Hepatitis Awareness Month to raise awareness of this public health 
threat and encourage greater prevention, diagnosis and treatment 
efforts.
  Viral hepatitis is a highly infectious disease that directly attacks 
the liver and, if left untreated, can lead to life-threatening 
cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and liver cancer. The Centers for 
Disease Control and Prevention--CDC--estimate that roughly 5 to 6 
million Americans are infected with viral hepatitis. Yet these chronic 
infections are silent killers, as those who are infected experience no 
obvious symptoms until advanced liver damage has occurred after years 
without treatment. Consequently, up to 50 percent of Americans infected 
with hepatitis B and 75 percent of Americans infected with hepatitis C 
are unaware of their disease. Without appropriate screening and 
management of the disease, viral hepatitis carriers can pass on the 
infection to others before suffering a premature death from liver 
cancer or liver disease.
  Similar to the human immunodeficiency virus--HIV--hepatitis B and C 
are spread through infected blood and needles. Despite awareness 
campaign efforts from advocacy groups and the CDC, there continues to 
be nearly 50,000 new infections each year in the United States, 
resulting in 15,000 deaths from chronic viral hepatitis-related 
diseases. While continued education and outreach is vital to discourage 
risky behaviors that expose individuals, it is only one part of 
preventing further spread of hepatitis.
  Perhaps most disturbing is the incidence of hepatitis B and C 
transmission

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occurring in healthcare settings from exposure to infected blood or the 
reuse of contaminated syringes. According to the CDC, unsafe injection 
practices are one of the leading causes of infections in healthcare 
settings. Although most healthcare workers are aware of the dangers and 
strictly follow safety guidelines when administering injections, 
outbreaks of hepatitis in recent years have shown the continued need 
for awareness, education, and stringent safety practices in healthcare 
settings.
  Chronic liver disease is among the top ten killers of Americans and 
hepatitis C accounts for 40 to 60 percent of all cases. While there is 
a safe vaccine for several types of viral hepatitis, no vaccine exists 
for hepatitis C. It has been identified as one of the most significant 
preventable and treatable public health problems facing the United 
States. Clearly we must continue to increase awareness of the disease 
to prevent new infections, encourage screening and tests, and link 
those that are infected with the care they need.
  It is my hope that awareness efforts throughout the month of May will 
bring to light the significant and silent health threat of hepatitis, 
encourage appropriate screening and management of the disease, promote 
vigilant safety practices in healthcare settings and prevent further 
transmissions of the disease.

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