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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Hepatitis C is the most prevalent bloodborne disease |
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| 6 | 7 | | in the United States, affecting nearly four million Americans and |
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| 7 | 8 | | an estimated 218,000 to 325,000 Texans; and |
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| 8 | 9 | | WHEREAS, Because symptoms may not manifest for years, as many |
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| 9 | 10 | | as three-quarters of the individuals with the disease are unaware |
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| 10 | 11 | | that they are infected; left undetected and untreated, hepatitis C |
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| 11 | 12 | | can cause potentially life-threatening liver damage, and infected |
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| 12 | 13 | | persons can unknowingly transmit the disease to others; and |
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| 13 | 14 | | WHEREAS, Risks for transmission are associated with exposure |
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| 14 | 15 | | to contaminated blood through blood transfusions, blood products, |
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| 15 | 16 | | organ transplants, needle-stick injuries in health care settings, |
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| 16 | 17 | | unsterilized medical or tattoo equipment, sharing of personal care |
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| 17 | 18 | | items such as razors or toothbrushes, or being born to a hepatitis |
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| 18 | 19 | | C-infected mother; hepatitis C develops into a chronic infection in |
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| 19 | 20 | | over 75 percent of cases and is the leading cause of cirrhosis and |
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| 20 | 21 | | liver cancer, potentially requiring the need for liver transplant |
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| 21 | 22 | | in advanced stages; and |
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| 22 | 23 | | WHEREAS, While no vaccine exists for hepatitis C, recognizing |
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| 23 | 24 | | the risk factors can help decrease the chance of infection, and |
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| 24 | 25 | | timely screening and care of hepatitis C can reduce the risk of |
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| 25 | 26 | | liver cancer by as much as 70 percent and mortality rates by 50 |
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| 26 | 27 | | percent; and |
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| 27 | 28 | | WHEREAS, Efforts to counter the spread of hepatitis C center |
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| 28 | 29 | | around educating health care workers, emergency services |
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| 29 | 30 | | personnel, and the general public, particularly veterans and aging |
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| 30 | 31 | | and minority populations that are disproportionately affected by |
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| 31 | 32 | | the disease; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
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| 32 | 33 | | recommends that all individuals born between 1945 and 1965 receive |
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| 33 | 34 | | a one-time hepatitis C test, which could save more than 100,000 |
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| 34 | 35 | | lives; and |
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| 35 | 36 | | WHEREAS, Public awareness is a valuable tool in reducing the |
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| 36 | 37 | | burden of this serious condition, and with the cooperation of every |
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| 37 | 38 | | Texas citizen, we can advance the effective management and |
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| 38 | 39 | | treatment of this infection, prevent disability and loss of income, |
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| 39 | 40 | | and enable more people touched by hepatitis C to live full and |
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| 40 | 41 | | productive lives; now, therefore, be it |
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| 41 | 42 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 42 | 43 | | Legislature hereby recognize May 2015 as Hepatitis C Awareness |
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| 43 | 44 | | Month and urge all Texans to educate themselves about the causes, |
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| 44 | 45 | | symptoms, and treatment of hepatitis C. |
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