Hepatitis C

"I want to blow the whistle on the fact that Hep C must be taken seriously as a public health challenge and must get the attention and resources that it needs."

That quote comes from Anita Roddick. She's the founder of the Body Shop. This celebrated entrepreneur says she contracted the disease 35 years ago from a blood transfusion. Now she wants to spread the word about the prevalence of this disease - a disease health experts have been warning for at least 5 years - is on the verge of becoming an epidemic.

The problem with Hepatitis C is, the virus can live in your blood stream for decades without causing symptoms. It damages the liver and can cause liver failure or liver cancer.

200 million people, worldwide, are estimated to have Hepatitis C.
There is no vaccine but drug treatments can help between 50 percent and 80 percent of those infected.
You may recall that the singer, Naomi Judd cut her career short when she was diagnosed with Hep C.
Risk factors include shared needles and infected blood. If you have any reason to suspect you're at risk, talk with your doctor. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/c/index.htm