This article & many others out today are talking about a rural Kentucky area & its Hep C epidemic. The man in the article has tracked over 500 IV drug users since 2008. At this time up to a 70% are infected with Hep C. That's 350 + people with a highly infectious disease.
This probably could've been handled better with more outreach programs & needle exchange. But this is a southern state where such things are highly frowned upon. Remember this is only 200 miles south of the county in Indiana suffering from a huge HIV outbreak.
The writer realizes its just a matter of time before those drug users also test + for HIV. Then what? In these states where prevention is a 4-letter word & akin to devil-worship, these highly communicable & preventable diseases are spreading like wildfire. Way to go conservatives.
Many people still think this is the 1980's & things like Hep C & HIV are city-things. But more & more these viruses are present in fairly removed, rural settings. Places with high-unemployment, little-to-no public services & a lot of drug users.
What's going to happen here? I have no idea. Will these states learn? Most likely not. They'll do just enough to get through the danger zone & then go back to business as usual.
Cya...
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