By JIMMY LAWTON

North Country This Week

CANTON – St. Lawrence County saw 10 new acute cases of hepatitis C and 101 new chronic cases in 2017, according to data provided by the State Department of Health.

That’s up from 10 acute cases and 79 chronic cases in 2016.

In 2015 St. Lawrence County saw two acute cases and 73 chronic cases and in 2014 St. Lawrence County saw four acute cases and 92 chronic cases.

In 2013 the county had 1 acute case and 60 chronic cases and in 2012 zero acute cases and 40 chronic cases were reported.

According to the Center for Disease Control, acute hepatitis C occurs within the first six months after someone is exposed to the hepatitis C virus.

Hepatitis C can be a short-term illness, but for most people, acute infection leads to chronic infection.

A chronic hepatitis C infection can be lifelong if left untreated. Left untreated, chronic hepatitis C can cause serious health problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer, and even death.

The problem isn’t isolated to St. Lawrence County. With an opioid and heroin epidemic underway across the state and country, the spread of hepatitis C is a major concern, St. Lawrence County Public Health Director Dana Olzenak McGuire said.

The disease is spread from infected blood. This means people who use needles to inject drugs are at a high risk of contracting the disease if they share needles.

Hepatitis can survive for four months on a surface and can also be contracted from sharing straws or rolled up bills when snorting drugs, according to public health officials.

“Most people are aware that sharing needles is dangerous, but I think a lot of people don’t realize they can be infected from paraphernalia,” St. Lawrence County Director of Preventative services Kindra Cousineau said.

McGuire said St. Lawrence County’s hepatitis infections can’t be linked to drug use for certain, but according to the Center for Disease Control new cases of hepatitis C tripled nationally between 2010-2015.

The greatest increase was among people age 20-29 and the number one infection source in that time period was listed as injected drugs with infected needles.

Olzenak McGuire recommends testing for anyone in a risk category.

“This includes anyone currently injecting drugs, anyone who has ever injected drugs, or if they have shared paraphernalia, like a straw up the nose that they shared with another person,” she said.

This also includes adults born between 1945 and 1965, who may have been infected by doctors when receiving shots before proper safety procedures were put in place.

Other sources of infection include sex when blood is present and accidental needle sticks in an emergency situation or an improperly cleaned needle from a tattoo.

Symptoms of hepatitis C include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain and elevated liver enzymes.

While St. Lawrence County doesn’t have a needle exchange program, Olzenak McGuire said volunteers in some circles will meet people to do an exchange.

She said the county does offer safe disposal. Needles can be brought in a safe container to all of the county’s hospitals and many local pharmacies.