Hepatitis C threat looms over Kolkata

KOLKATA: Drug addicts in Kolkata are gradually falling victims to the deadly Hepatitis C virus and the fear of its imminent spread has posed a major threat to the city's civic administration.

According to a recent survey by the Indian Institute of Public Health & Hygiene (IIPHH) in association with some local NGOs, the presence of Hepatitis C virus has been traced in the blood of 43 per cent of the drug addicts in the city.

Among blood samples collected from 205 drug addicts, 88 of them showed positive. And the affected are mostly between the age group of 30 and 40 years from the city or from the suburbs.

D Pal, head of the institute's microbiology department, said the result is indicative of a serious trend, since contaminated and non-sterilised syringes are the main reason for the viral infection among drug
addicts.

He added that most people fail to realise that they are affected by the virus since it doesn't show any early symptoms and doesn't affect the day-to-day activities in a person's life.

"However, gradually the virus affects the liver, and brings the victim a sudden death," he said. 

The survey result is only the tip of an iceberg, as there might be plenty more, who are not addicted to drugs yet infected by the virus, he added. The virus can strike through unprotected sex and blood transmission.

The report is a reminder to the state health department for speedy action against the Hepatitis C virus.

The state-run awareness programmes should be given equal emphasis like that of HIV, since there are similarities in the mode of infection and end results of both the viruses.