The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services is set to host an informative event about Hepatitis C at the College of Veterinary Medicine on Wednesday.

The presentation, led by N.C. Hepatitis C coordinator and nurse Susan Thompson, will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in room D-236, and is open to all faculty and students of state and federal organizations.

“It’s about increasing people’s awareness,” Thompson said.

Known as “The Silent Killer,” Hepatitis C is an infectious disease that primarily affects the liver, and is spread by blood-to-blood contact. The disease is caused by the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) that manifests itself as a blood-borne germ. Hepatitis C, in disease form, is asymptomatic and can cause cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, and liver failure.

According to Thompson, sharing needles and drug paraphernalia is the most widespread risk factor for the acute form of Hepatitis C. She said the danger of sharing needles with a disease carrier stems from the blood-to-blood contact.

“With the acute form of the disease we see new infections that are generally contracted by using unsanitary needles,” Thompson said.

Hepatitis C also has a chronic form that, Thompson said, is found predominantly in baby boomer patients. The disease, in chronic form, most likely resulted from infectious blood transfusions done before 1992, or the past sharing of needles.

Thompson’s presentation is among the growing efforts that are being made to increase education and awareness about Hepatitis C. She said the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services has implemented the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan with multi-agency involvement that will promote the spread of information about the disease.

The plan will also present two new medicines for Hepatitis C that have shown positive results, according to Thompson.

“[The new medicines] have increased response rates for what they would call a cure,” Thompson said.

Alex Birmingham, a junior in social work, said it is crucial to be proactive in educating the public about the facts of the disease.

“It’s really important to raise awareness simply because it’s becoming more and more prominent in this country,” Birmingham said.

The long-term effects of Hepatitis C can be exhausting and devastating, according to Sanford-based Physician’s Assistant Carolyn Rodgers, who had a friend with the disease. Rodgers said her friend contracted Hepatitis C as a result of a blood transfusion following a liver transplant.

“[It] was a bad time. The treatments were really rough for him. They made the Hepatitis inactive, but his body had to be monitored consistently after them,” Rodgers said.

Before 1992, hospitals and medical facilities did not have the technologies or capabilities to test donated blood. Once more research was conducted on Hepatitis C and more became known about the disease, scientists were able to develop a blood test that checked for traces of the Hepatitis C Virus, among other things.

Rodgers said when little was known about the disease, people may not have recognized that they contracted it at all.

“A lot of people who had it didn’t know they had it, or even what Hepatitis was,” Rodgers said.

The development of tests for donated blood in 1992 essentially eliminated cases of chronic Hepatitis C caused by infectious blood transfusions or organ transplants. Thompson hopes that with increased knowledge of the disease, cases of acute Hepatitis C will decrease and the medical technology needed to combat it will advance.

Thompson’s presentation aims to send a message to the younger generations. She said it’s vital that young adults learn about the effects of Hepatitis C and how to prevent it because of the common threat it’s become.

“[People] should know that Hepatitis C is four to five times more prevalent than HIV,” Thompson said.