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Mercer County has the most per capita hepatitis B cases in the USA
The numbers have apparently been climbing because of intravenous and nasal drug use.
According to health officials, Mercer County, West Virginia now has the most per capita hepatitis B cases in the nation and ranks third for the number of hepatitis C infections.
According to the Centers for Disease control both hepatitus B and C affect the liver, both can be deadly, but there is a vaccine for hepatitis B. This version becomes chronic 10 to 15 percent of the time. On the other hand, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C and it becomes a chronic problem about 85 to 90 percent of the time.
Per capita, Mercer County has the highest number of people living with hepatitis B in the country and the third most for hepatitis C. It’s been that way for at least 3 years and Mercer County Public Health Nurse Judy Bolton says the numbers continue to climb.
“People can be infected with B or C and be very very ill,” Bolton said, “or they can be infected with B or C and not have any symptoms at all and they don’t even find out till its years later and maybe it has turned into a chronic condition by that time.” http://www.wvpubcast.org/newsarticle.aspx?id=20979