CDC Recommends Baby Boomers get Tested for Hepatitis C

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has made a recommendation that all adults in the ‘Baby Boomer’ age group (born 1945 thru 1965) get a Hepatitis C test. While this group only represents about 27% of the U.S. population, they are in the group that has seventy five percent of the diagnosed hepatitis C cases.

Hepatitis C is a virus that is spread via the blood and typically from blood transfusions and shared needles. The higher infection rate of the baby boomer age group is due to potential infection spread before the newer levels of testing were put in place. It is estimated that if this age group is tested, it may identify approximately 800,000 additional individuals that may be carrying the disease and assist in treatment.

Sources:
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/08/20/baby-boomers-urged-to-get-hepatitis-c-test/
http://www.mercurynews.com/health/ci_21327920/all-baby-boomers-need-hepatitis-c-testing-federal

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.