Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
YOU COULD HAVE Hepatitis C but not know it.
That’s the message this World Hepatitis Day from three groups who are encouraging people to get tested for the disease.
Up to 50,000 people in Ireland are affected by this ‘hidden’ disease, and the CThis campaign believes it is misunderstood.
CThis was created by Community Response, Dublin Aids Alliance and UISCE, who collectively provide support and advocate on behalf of people with blood-borne viruses as well as drug users.
They’re encouraging people who could be at risk of hepatitis C to get tested, or visit www.hepinfo.ie or ring the HSE helpline on 1800 459 459.
They will be bringing a two-metre tall green ‘C’ around Dublin city today “to symbolise the magnitude of hepatitis C”.
How can you contract Hepatitis C?
Although up to 50,000 Irish people may be infected with hepatitis C, in the early stages most people don’t experience any symptoms and don’t realise they have the virus.
This leads to people not being diagnosed until more serious symptoms occur, such as cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver.
Up to 1,000 new cases are identified each year with up to 20% of these developing cirrhosis of the liver.
Hepatitis C is transmitted from person-to-person through blood-to-blood contact, such as:
Nicola Perry of Community Response said:
Hepatitis C is often misunderstood by the public. It can be confused with hepatitis A or B where there are vaccines available. Hepatitis C cannot currently be vaccinated against and can lead to a long-term infection. People need to be aware how hepatitis C is contracted and get tested if they feel they could be at-risk.
The groups said that while approximately 75% of hepatitis C cases are associated with drug use, “many people have kicked their drug habit and are now leading normal lives, completely unaware that they have a virus that is causing serious damage to their liver”.
Testing is available for free at public STI clinics.
Funding badly needed
Dr Shay Keating of the Drug Treatment Centre Board also noted that to date, no funding has been made available for the implementation of the HSE’s Hepatitis C Strategy.
He said that while they “are treating as many patients as possible, we are not getting as far ahead as we would like”.
Additional funding and a lift of the moratorium to recruit additional staff are needed in order to implement the national strategy fully.
Nicola Perry of Community Response said:
Hepatitis C is an infectious disease, often with no symptoms, and can lead to severe liver conditions. Of those who develop chronic hepatitis C, an estimated 30% will develop cirrhosis; others will develop liver cancer, some of whom may require liver transplantation. Chronic hepatitis C is the most common reason for liver transplants in Europe and poses a significant public health burden.
A Treat It, Beat It campaign has been launched by Community Response and Janssen.
It includes a place on the Community Response website for people to petition their local TDs urging them to ensure that resourcing of the National Hepatitis C Strategy is a priority in Budget 2015.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Why are you warning “people” to cook meat correctly – warn the cooks/chefs in our hospitality industry.
@John Flood: John, there lies the problem. People want to cater at home and get their supplies from Catering Companies but unfortunately home appliances are sometimes not up to the job of cooking for large amounts of people. How many people test the temperature of food at home before serving it ?
@John Flood: Cooks & chefs are “people” too. Most people cook at home. Home isn’t exempt from this.
@John Flood: I suppose some is cooked at home…
@John Flood: never happen on the south side lol.
Some heads will need to roll after this.
I never got the “rare” cooked meat or steak tartare thing myself. Aside from bacterial contamination undercooked meat may carry parasitic eggs which will not be killed if the temperature is insufficient.
@Permo Dermo: Depends on what you’re cooking. Steak (assuming its fresh and from a reputable source) only needs to have the areas that have been exposed to the air cooked as it doesn’t tend to carry parasites or harmful bacteria, unlike chicken or pork. Tartar (or rare hamburgers) are risky, but even a blue steak is very unlikely to cause harm
Obviously no HAACP paperwork done.
@RJ.Fallon: you’ll find it’s done alright, with the same copy and paste job as yesterday. It is at best negligent and at worst criminal to have done this. Beyond scandalous. At least the names of those involved are out so we can
A V O I D.
@: Agreed,I should have said,if HAASP is used by conscientious staff, committed to their work. And hopefully,most are. Plus ,I know that Food Safety inspectors are ruthless in their checking of these records.
@: so if you buy a chicken in Tesco and under cook it and give your family salmonella, do you name and shame Tesco ?
I love chicken curry
@paul kelly: I’m glad for that..
@paul kelly: I like turtles.
Just getting over a bad dose of food poisoning from chicken goujons I had yesterday. Bought frozen, cooked for 45 mins in the oven, puking my ring for 12 hours shortly after in between the sweats and the chills. Horrendous.
@Jimmy Ireland: Get well soon. I once had food poisoning for months, a rare bug that 99% of people wouldn’t be bothered by. That was a nightmare, all I could think of was food but I couldn’t eat any. Ended up in hospital on a drip and a few days later eventually managed to eat half a piece of toast. Nothing had ever tasted so great. It was one of the best meals ever! I’ll never take buttered toast for granted again.
Was the chicken in this case cooked by the caterers and then reheated at the communion parties? Presumably it was and it would then fully have been the catering company at fault.
Any catering company selling chicken resulting in a salmonella outbreak should be shut down permanently
@@UK: I don’t know about that. People do leave food out for hours in warm weather. There’s food poisoning every summer. Maybe they needed a spare fridge for the day?
I had a bout of Salmonella that I picked up after travelling in Vietnam. Got it on my last day there. After all those weeks of eating local street food etc, it was the bloody western style cafe that I went to on the last day there… Thankfully the worst didn’t kick in until i got back to Ireland. It was awful. Wouldn’t wish it on anyone!
Why don’t they ever say the pains in your stomach will be terrible as well. They never say this.
@Rockhopper617: I don’t think other people want to hear all the gory details, that’s why. Also, if it goes on for long enough, your potassium levels plunge and your shins feel as if they’re about to snap when you walk. Seriously, once you’re better, I think the last thing you want is to dwell on how sick you were, you’re just delighted to feel human again, without putting other people off their food.
have your say