AMERICAN LEGION POST #14 - BOZEMAN, MONTANA



HEPATITIS C

1 IN 10 VIETNAM VETERANS HAS HEPATITIS C AND MANY DON'T KNOW IT



It is estimated that over 80,000 Vietnam veterans have the disease and are unaware of their status because they have no distinct symptoms.

Vietnam Veterans, especially those born 1945-1965, are at high risk of having Hep C.

Experts are unsure of why so many Vietnam veterans have contracted hepatitis C, but they think it may be due to the administration of vaccines. Sharing the jet gun method on multiple enlisted soldiers most likely led to the spread of the disease.

Another culprit may be the way in which blood transfusions were performed. Blood from blood banks was not screened for viral hepatitis until July 1992.

Hepatitis C can also be contracted by sharing needles, tattooing in unsanitary environments, and other types of blood exposure practices. It is not spread by touching skin or by saliva.

The disease can attack the liver without clear symptoms. Common symptoms include fatigue and joint pain.

Veteran organizations want all Vietnam-era veterans to be tested for Hepatitis C.

Screening Veterans for Hepatitis C Infection