CDC: Test All 'Boomers' for Hepatitis C Infection
Posted: Sat May 19, 2012 6:43 am
How much does a test cost? What is the treatment?http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousD ... itis/32772
With "baby boomers" believed to account for 75% of the hepatitis C infected population in the U.S. -- the CDC is recommending that everyone ages 47 to 67 be tested for infection.
The CDC estimates that some two million Americans born from 1945 to 1965 are infected with HCV -- that's about 3% of the boomer generation. But because many years usually elapse before noticeable symptoms develop, most don't know they are infected.
The CDC said one-time HCV testing of all "baby boomers" "could identify more than 800,000 additional people with hepatitis C, prevent the costly consequences of liver cancer and other chronic liver diseases, and save more than 120,000 lives."
If you are a boomer who was not in the battlefield and has not used illegal injected drugs do you want to be tested after reading the article?
Thanks!