Hepatitis
C (HCV) Disease
Epidemic
History of
Blood & Byproduct Management
Table of Contents
Includes:
What
you will learn...
The HCV Disease
(Hepatitis C) epidemic is discovering what
was. CDC reports that in
1988, 242,000 Hepatitis C infections were
reported annually. However, Military
infection rates, as any federal
institutions, are not defined in this data.
These high figures were reported in the
1950's and 60's, among military. High
infection rates continued until effective
solvents were discovered that rid HCV virus
from environmental surfaces.
September 1999,
Sterilants and Disinfectants
Applied and Environmental Microbiology,
p. 4255-4260, Vol. 65, No.
90099-2240/99/$04.00+0 Bacterial Spores
Survive Treatment with Commercial Sterilants
and Disinfectants Hepatitis C Survives
Treatment with Commercial Sterilants and
Disinfectants
Since
mandatory heating or washing of blood
products and discontinuing the use of jetgun
injections during mass vaccination, reused
needles and vials; the annual number of new
infections began to declined...
The HCV
epidemic began out of the military need to
address hepatitis during WWII; after an
outbreak among troops that received
experimental yellow fever vaccinations.
Researchers discovered in 1977, that stored
blood from infected soldiers were HCV
positive as well, and labeled the new
disease non-a non-b.
The hepatitis
C epidemic has occurred because of the
conditions that existed during the Cold War,
Korean and Vietnam era's for processing
blood, blood products and vaccines. Lack of
ability to sterilize surfaces and devices
widened the scope of disease transmission.
The blood and blood based product
development processes were not guided by the
strict standards in place today.
The military
personnel shared toothbrushes, manicure
items, razors and rags. They had surgery,
dental or medial, and received injections
with reusable needles and/or syringes. All
had finger sticks with reused lancets by
technicians that did not wear gloves. Most
were vaccinated by jet injection and many
injected with reused bifurcated
(two-pronged) needle that is dipped into the
small pox vaccine solution, a blood based
product.
in the St. Louis City Workhouse in Missouri. They had a program in place that offered $15.00 to the prisoners that would let their blood be drawn, saline solution put in and they waited while other prisoners like myself spun the plasma out of their blood. Then the blood was placed back into the prisoner. I know this is true. I witnessed it and worked in that section for a few months. Not one person ever had their blood tested prior to selling the plasma in their blood. I only hope this helps someone out there realize the magnitude of how far hep c was able to reach. That was a lot of money to most prisoners back then and there was never any lack of supply. We never wore gloves