Health officials push for more hepatitis C testing

WATCH ABOVE: Community groups and health officials are urging people who may be at risk of Hepatitis C to get tested. The call comes on World Hepatitis Day. Julia Wong reports.

HALIFAX – The fluctuating rates of hepatitis C in the Halifax region may be the result of lack of testing, according to a top health official.

READ MORE: On World Hepatitis Day, here’s what you need to know about the virus

Dr. Robin Taylor, the medical officer of health for the Nova Scotia Health Authority, said Halifax’s rates are on par with the rest of the country, but she said the wide range of cases each year may be caused by insufficient testing, which rests on the individual.

“In order to be diagnosed, you have to have a blood test. That deters a lot of us,” she said.

Hepatitis C is a viral infection that is transmitted between individuals through contact with infected blood. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, it can be asymptomatic but eventually could lead to liver damage, liver cancer and potentially a liver transplant.

Symptoms include jaundice, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C. Approximately 5,000 in Nova Scotia are living with the infectious disease, according to the Hepatitis Outreach Society of Nova Scotia.

Taylor said those who are at risk of hepatitis C, such as those who use needles to share drugs, work in healthcare or get tattoos or piercings with unsterile equipment, should be proactive about getting tested.

The PHAC also states it can be spread through sharing personal care items, such as toothbrushes and razors, open sores or breaks in the skin as well as through sexual activity.

Taylor said the majority of Hepatitis C patients are drug users, which is why it is critical they have access to needle exchange and harm reduction programs.

“From a public health side of things, I don’t want anybody to get infected with Hepatitis C. The fact we have any cases at all and that perhaps it’s being spread is of a concern,” she said.

“The longer you go without knowing, the more likely you are to develop a catastrophic illness at the end of it.”

More awareness needed: Community group

Carla Densmore, the executive director of the Hepatitis Outreach Society of Nova Scotia, said certain populations, such as those who are First Nations, newcomers to the country, drug users and the baby boomer population, are at higher risk of contracting the disease.

“I think a lot of people don’t get tested either A) they’ve never heard about hepatitis, it’s just not on their radar, or B) they may think that’s something other people are at risk for,” she said.

Densmore said greater public awareness about the condition will lead to more testing, which is important not only for that person’s quality of life but those around him or her.

“Harm is being done to the liver. There is a risk for liver cancer and liver failure, possibly to the extent of needing a liver transplant,” she said.

“If someone doesn’t know they have Hepatitis B or C, they’re not able to take steps to make sure it’s not passed onto other people they’re in contact with.”

Man calls diagnosis a blessing in disguise

Kevin Dobson, 54, of Dartmouth was diagnosed with Hepatitis C in 2003. He believes he contracted the disease after a tainted blood transfusion in the 1980s. It was discovered through routine blood work.

He said the disease has taken a physical toll.

“Join pain, muscle pain, a lot of insomnia at nights, I couldn’t sleep. This general feeling of malaise a lot of the time, feeling nauseous and at times not being able to eat,” he said.

He wants to break down the stigma surrounding the disease and is calling on people to get tested if they suspect they may have the condition.

Dobson said the scary diagnosis actually saved his life.

“Quite simply, I may not be talking to you right now. Just that diagnosis alone made me alter my lifestyle. I started living cleaner. I abstain from alcohol. I started exercising,” he said.

“It helped me buy time.”