Wyoming: Hepatitis Outbreak Slows

Casper, Wyo., residents watching late-night MTV might recognize Dr. Mark Dowell in an advertisement telling people to get tested for hepatitis and avoid risky behavior. "Hepatitis is not something to mess around with," says the Casper-Natrona County health officer in the ad, which runs on cable channels.

The advertisement comes as Natrona is still facing an outbreak of hepatitis B and C that has drawn the attention of CDC. The confirmed number of infections continues to slowly increase, with 49 cases of hepatitis B and 74 cases of hepatitis C -- 123 cases total -- since late March. Of that total, 15 people are infected with both viruses.

Hepatitis B and C are viruses of the liver that can lead to chronic conditions. They are most often spread through unprotected sex and sharing drug paraphernalia. Hepatitis B is highly communicable and health officials are most concerned about it.

Fewer people are checking into the hospital with hepatitis B symptoms, said Dowell. He has seen a couple of people with the virus in recent weeks, compared with almost one every day during the summer months. Hepatitis B has a 30-day incubation period, he said, so it is likely the outbreak has mostly run its course. Many people with hepatitis C can function for years without showing symptoms.

State Hepatitis Coordinator Clay Van Houten credited local, state and federal health officials for stopping the outbreak. Health officials, including a CDC team, tested and vaccinated for hepatitis B in Casper during the summer. There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. No infected person has died because of the virus, Van Houten added.

Van Houten said CDC will likely report within a few months and will clarify how the viruses were transmitted. Health officials have previously said methamphetamine users were, in part, responsible for spreading the viruses. The Casper-Natrona Health Department continues to offer no-cost vaccinations to people at risk. For more information, telephone 307-235-9340.

Back to other news for September 18, 2003