Test Baby Boomers for Hepatitis C, Says CDC Undetected disease
can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, agency notes FRIDAY, May 18
(HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention wants all Americans born between 1945 and 1965 -- the
baby boom generation -- tested for hepatitis C. Most cases of
the potentially deadly disease occur in this age group, and most
were infected in their teens and 20s and don't know they are
infected, the agency said. "CDC views this as an unrecognized
health crisis and we needed to take a bold action because
current strategies weren't working," said Dr. John Ward,
director of the division of viral hepatitis at CDC's National
Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention.
"The recommendation is for a one-time hepatitis C virus test for
all persons born between 1945 and 1965," Ward said. Deaths from
the virus topped 15,000 in 2007, according to the CDC. "The
great majority of people -- 75 percent -- of the 3.2 million
Americans living with hepatitis