Noteboom The Law Firm

More Vietnam Veterans Being Diagnosed with Hepatitis C

January 21, 2011 - For thousands of Vietnam veterans, returning home was just the beginning of many struggles, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Many veterans suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) before that was even what it was called, and before substantial treatment was available. Some had to learn to live without limbs, or with debilitating health effects stemming from exposure to Agent Orange. For some, however, their battles were not immediately apparent, and did not surface until years later.

Such is the case with many Vietnam veterans with hepatitis C. Somewhere between 10%-20% of Vietnam veterans have hepatitis C, according to research into VA medical centers. Unfortunately, it is a disease able to remain essentially formant for 20-30 years, without ever producing a symptom, which is not uncommon.

There is however a new pattern developing in the types of veterans being diagnosed with the disease: doctors and medics. Emergency surgeries preformed without proper protection, attending to the wounded on the battlefield, and just being in combat are all perfect environments in which to transfer hepatitis C from one person to another. In all these situations, blood is present. When the doctor or medic is unprotected, and has infected blood on them from their patient, it can infect that doctor or medic through cuts on their bodies or by splashing into their eyes.

Hepatitis C can be fatal and requires medical treatment. Unfortunately for many veterans, they may have unknowingly passed on the disease if their lack of symptoms prevented them from undergoing hepatitis C testing.