Hepatitis
Continued from Pagel
of appetite, fatigue, vomiting, di
arrhea, fever, abdominal pain,
dark urine and jaundice or yel
low coloring of the skin and eyes.
Unlike hepatitis A, the symp
toms appear more gradually, and
it is possible for a person to re
main infected fora lifetime.
The number of hepatitis B re
ported cases are up from 34 in
1997 to 52 as of Sept. 30 for Lane
County. The Lane County Health
and Human Services attributes
this rise to an increasing number
of infected patients using intra
venous drugs.
Approximately 300.000 Amer
icans contract hepatitis B each
year, according to the American
Social Health Association. Of all
the reported cases, approximate
ly 75 percent of the people are
between 15-39 years-old, accord
ing to the ACHA. Because there
is no cure for HBV, the health
center recommends the three
shot immunization, which takes
place during a six-month period.
For students ages 19 and under,
the shots are $6 apiece, and for
students 20 and over, they are
$31 each.
“It is such a serious disease. It
is like, ‘Why wouldn’t you get
it?”’ said Sharon Harbert, regis
tered nurse at the Student Health
Center.
The ACHA recommends all
college students get the hepatitis
B vaccination. This virus is so
prevalent that it is standard regu
lation that all newborns be im
munized before they leave the
hospital, Harbert said.
Many people are at risk and
are unaware of it. One-third of
those infected have no identifi
able risk factors and do not know
how they contracted hepatitis B,
according to the ACHA.
Practicing safer sex, not using
injectable drugs and avoiding ex
posure to blood or other bodily
fluids will reduce your risk.
Hepatitis A also has serious
implications for students. The
hepatitis A virus is a highly con
tagious virus that can be con
tracted by eating or drinking
you a Eugene Water B
D
o you use an electric heatin
If you answered yes to
the questions above, you
may qualify for free
weatherization services
that will help your home
hold the heat and save
you money. Whether you
own or rent your house,
apartment or mobile
home you can get
comfortable now.
Call EWEB's Energy
Management Services:
484-1125
Income Eligibility Guidelines
# in Household
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Annual Income*
$16,680
$19,080
$21,420
$23,820
$25,740
$27,660
$31,063
$34,563
* Some portions of your income may be
deductible, enabling you to qualify.
EWEB
This program is sponsored by Eugene Water & Electric Board, Bonneville Power Admin
istration and the Housing Authority and Community Services Agency of Lane County.
something that has been contam
inated with stool or blood of an
infected person. As of Sept. 30,
there were 91 reported case in
Lane County for 1998, almost
double from the 48 in 1997.
Symptoms of hepatitis A are
similar to those of B; however,
their onset is slightly different.
Typically, the older the patient,
the more sever the symptoms.
Symptoms may last about four
weeks, but up to 20 percent of
the affected persons show symp
toms for up to 15 months and
some may need to be hospital
ized, according to the health cen
ter.
Hepatitis A can cause severe
liver damage and possibly death.
The percentages of deaths are
seven times greater in people
older than 40 years and younger
than 14 years, according to 1989
data provided from the health
center.
HAV used to be a concern pri
marily for people traveling to un
der-developed areas of the world,
where it is endemic. However,
there have been a high number of
cases reported in the Eugene
area, said Dr. Gerald Fleischli,
health center director.
According to the Lane County
Health and Human Services Di
vision, the high number of cases
of HAV is primarily attributed to
the high number of transient per
sons in the population. Quite fre
quently, transmission of the virus
is more frequent because of low
levels of cleanliness. However,
the number of hepatitis A cases
are not confined to the Lane
County area.
When it comes to the number
of reported cases of HAV, “Ore
gon is consistently above the na
tional average," said Dr. William
E. Keene, epidemioligist of the
Oregon Health Division. He also
said the West Coast in general is
also higher than the average. Be
ing in an area of high incidence
puts the population at a greater
risk of contracting the virus,
Keene said, but there is no deter
mined reason why Oregon and
the West Coast have such a high
number of cases.
For protection, there are two
vaccines available for hepatitis
A, which students can get at the
health center. In addition to get
Risky behaviors
Hepatitis A
Traveling to developing countries
where hepatitis A virus is common
Eating contaminated food either
prepared by an infected person or
using contaminated water
Having vaginal, oral or anal sexu
al contact with an infected person
Using silverware, cups or glasses
that an infected person has touched
with unwashed hands
Making contact with stool of an
infected person and neglecting to
wash your hands
Sharing food with an infected
person or drinking water contami
nated with sewage
Hepatitis B
Having unprotected sex
Having multiple sex partners
Sharing needles
Potentially from having contact
with needles for tattoos, acupunc
ture or piercing
Having close, frequent contact
with the blood, semen, vaginal se
cretions or saliva of infected per
sons
Where to call
University Student Health Center:
346-4441
Sacred Heart Medical Center:
686-7300
SOURCE: University of Illinois Urbana-Cham
paign Health Center
ting vaccinated, other steps may
help to slightly reduce the risk of
contracting HAV.
Cleanliness, such as washing
hands regularly to prevent pass
ing fecal matter, is recommended
by the Oregon Health Division.
The health center recommends
that students contact them when
making plans to travel outside
the United States.
According to the health center
and other experts, vaccination is
the safest way for students to pro
tect themselves from both virus
es.
Sarah Skidmore coi’ers the health
center, counseling center, alumni
association, AAA school and the
business school for the Emerald.
She can Iv reached via e-mail at
slskidm@gladstone.uoregon.edu.
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