In the middle of a hepatitis outbreak, U.S. shutters the one CDC lab that could help

[Dulcinea]

(NPR) After people started testing positive for hepatitis C in a coastal Florida town in December, state officials collected blood from patients, wrapped their specimens in dry ice and mailed them straight to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, Ga.

The hepatitis C virus, which is spread through contact with infected blood and can lead to deadly liver cancer, is notoriously hard to identify. But if anyone could understand what was happening in Florida, it would be the Division of Viral Hepatitis in the CDC's headquarters.

Using samples from the laboratory's collection of nearly 1 million frozen specimens, scientists helped make the initial discovery of the hepatitis C virus in the 1980s. In 2020, that research was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine.

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/nx-s1-5355131/hepatitis-cdc-lab-outbreak-ghost

[William769]

1. Hepatitis C is primarily spread through contact with infected blood, most commonly by sharing needles when injecting

drugs. It can also be spread through other means like birth to an infected mother, healthcare exposures, and in some cases, sexual contact.

Here's a more detailed look at how Hepatitis C can be caught:

1. Sharing Needles for Drug Injection:
This is the most common way Hepatitis C is transmitted.
Sharing needles, syringes, or any other equipment used to prepare and inject drugs can expose a person to infected blood.
Even if a person isn't injecting drugs, they can still be at risk if they come into contact with contaminated needles.

2. Birth to an Infected Mother:
Infants born to mothers with Hepatitis C have a chance of contracting the virus, though it's less common than with Hepatitis B.
The risk is estimated to be about 1 in 20 for babies born to infected mothers.

3. Healthcare Settings:
Accidental needle stick injuries in healthcare settings can transmit the virus if the needle is contaminated with infected blood.
Healthcare professionals are trained to follow strict infection control practices to prevent this, but breaches in these practices can still lead to transmission.

4. Sexual Contact:
Hepatitis C can be spread through sexual contact, though it's less common than other sexually transmitted infections like HIV or Hepatitis B.
The risk of sexual transmission is higher among men who have sex with men and when an infected partner has HIV.

5. Other Transmission Routes:
Unregulated Tattoos or Piercings:
Tattoos or piercings done in unlicensed facilities or with non-sterile equipment can transmit Hepatitis C.
Sharing Personal Items:
Sharing razors, toothbrushes, or other personal items that may have come into contact with infected blood can also pose a risk.
Blood Transfusions and Organ Transplants:
Before 1992, when the blood supply was not screened for Hepatitis C, it was also spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ways+to+catch+hepatitis+c&rlz=1C1GCEA_enCA1135US1135&oq=ways+to+cacych+hepatitus&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCQgCEAAYDRiABDIGCAAQRRg5MgkIARAAGA0YgAQyCQgCEAAYDRiABDINCAMQABiGAxiABBiKBTINCAQQABiGAxiABBiKBTIHCAUQABjvBTIKCAYQABiABBiiBNIBCjIyNDM5ajBqMTWoAgiwAgHxBTNoqwWfFZeQ&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[hlthe2b]

2. Yes. But it is often the "unusual routes" most critical to identifying and investigating in these cases to

halt community outbreaks, especially transmission from infected health care workers. Unknown to many is that intranasal spread from shared contaminated intranasal medications or cocaine has been documented and more procedures like tattooing afford the chance to transmit from contaminated equipment or "operators/providers"; likewise, the erosion of fighters' (boxers') knuckles and 10% of patient infections fully investigated remain unknown as to source ... Sometimes the unexpected becomes the most critical to investigate, and that CDC lab is of paramount importance--as is the CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) to help state officials investigate.

The destruction of CDC and other health agencies will haunt Americans for decades.

The intentional dismantling of trust in expertise will ultimately shorten the lives of most of us.

[William769]

4. Agreed, All I was doing was providing the basics to DU members

Information is key to helping stop infections.

[hlthe2b]

5. I totally agree..

Thank you, William!

[Passages]

3. Criminal.