Babyboomers to get Hep ‘C’ screening
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A group of doctors says Canada should start screening all baby boomers for Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis C is a major cause of cirrhosis of the liver, and the most common reason for liver transplantation in North America. People infected with the blood-borne virus typically have no symptoms, until they develop liver failure or cancer of the liver. But unlike most chronic viral infections, hepatitis C is curable. The Canadian Liver Foundation recommends that people born from 1945 to 1975 be tested, because that age group represents more than 75 per cent of those infected. Right now, Canada now screens people based on risky behaviours, such as IV drug use.
