TOP STORIES  ... du jour

While in a lot of the midwestern states, ya got yer two seasons: riding season, and road construction. Hep C Straightup's news page is going to get one helluva makeover this year ... very pared down.  Without all the "blah, blah, blah," we'll just hit the highlights for ya. 

 

 

Stay Tuned .... 

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Keeping on top ...

... of all the possible new hep C treatments is nearly impossible these days - even for us.  But, here's where we do our part.

 

Check out Novel Therapy (maybe) News  ...    

If we say so ourselves ...

Not being above a little shameless self promotion, we bring you the  Straightup News, where you can get the straight up on Hep C Straightup, Inc. 

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MORE HEP C NEWS

2008

August

The saga continues about the clinic in Las Vegas that is allegedly responsible for infecting all kinds of people with hep C ....

Docs running for Medical Board ... in Nevada.  Hell yea, they got trust issues ....

Restoring Trust is Goal of Three Candidates Vying for Key Medical ...

RedOrbit - Dallas,TX,USA

Cooper, who has been with the medical board since 2001 and is leading the hepatitis C investigation as it relates to physicians, said he threw his hat into ...

That's just the latest.  There's a butt load of articles on this, and the ensuing joke of an investigation in our More Hep C News section ... here. 

 

For many it’s just a little easier to look at ....

Pen Injectors Becoming Dominant Force in Many Therapeutic Sectors

PharmaLive.com (press release) - Newtown,PA,USA

Patients suffering from conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis and Hepatitis C are often able to achieve a higher quality of life using ...

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July

The “investigation” says they found nine whole people.  Yea.   Right.

CDC Finds Link Among Patients Exposed to Hepatitis

KLAS-TV - Las Vegas,NV,USA

They also identified a ninth case and the source of two of the hepatitis C strains. There will also be no more public notifications to get tested, ...

Another issue of using hep C blood as a weapon.  Not only stupid, but could set a dangerous precedent....

Paparazzi get into fight with Guards at Angelina Jolie and Brad ...

Best Syndication - Pinon Hills,CA,USA

The men then started kicking and one bit the guard saying he had hepatitis C. He then wiped blood from a wound and wiped it on the wound of one the guards. ...

She & 98 others got hep C from contaminated supplies at a NE clinic ....  

Hepatitis bout ignited Nebraska woman's activism against medical ...

MLive.com - MI,USA

She has been cancer free for six years, but in 2002 was diagnosed with hepatitis C. "I was flabbergasted," said McKnight, since she had none of the common ...

Natalie Cole’s got hep C & appears to be responding to treatment.   

Natalie Cole diagnosed with Hepatitis C

NME.com – UK

The virus was discovered during a routine medical exam, and is likely a result of the Grammy-winning singer's drug use many years ago. ...

Natalie Cole Has Hepatitis C

KWTX - Waco,TX,USA

A statement from her publicist says the diagnosis came after a routine examination, which turned up evidence of the virus, which she evidently got as a ...

Singer Natalie Cole Confirms Diagnosis Of Hepatitis C

ChattahBox - Boston,MA,USA

The Grammy Award-winner was diagnosed with hepatitis C during a routine medical check-up, and believed she first contracted it in the 1970s due to her drug ...

This nurse got hep C & HIV from an accidental needlestick; a classic example of why folks working in healthcare are a high risk group for hep C....

Prepare, Protect, Prevent

Nurse.com - Falls Church,VA,USA

She also acquired hepatitis C. "At the time of my injury, we didn't know a lot about how effective some HIV meds were in preventing infection following ...

Another hep C activist passes on ....  

Letter: Community loses 'a great activist'

Appeal-Democrat - Marysville,CA,USA

Sherri Zeigler educated our community on the issues surrounding Hepatitis C. She was responsible for educating hundreds of people every year on the dangers ...

Lawsuit tries to prevent California dept. of infections – uh ... I mean, corrections from killing its inmates ....

Prisoners with hepatitis C sue California prisons

San Francisco Chronicle - CA, USA

A group of California prisoners infected with hepatitis C say they are suing the state because they aren't getting proper medical treatment. ...

Suit alleges inadequate care of hepatitis C outbreak in California ...

Los Angeles Times - CA,USA

An attorney in the federal class-action lawsuit says up to 40% of the 171000 inmates in state prisons may be infected by hepatitis C. By Patrick McGreevy...

Grand jury recommends a needle-exchange program ....  

Reports show grand jury going beyond duty's call

Modesto Bee - Modesto,CA,USA

Many residents are not aware of the serious impact of hepatitis C, a chronic and incurable disease that damages the liver. The community is already ...

A disturbing trend across the pond ....

Number of teenagers being treated for hepatitis has quadrupled

News & Star - Carlisle,England,UK

Since 2005, there has been a 28 per cent increase in Hepatitis C diagnosis for adults in north Cumbria, from 70 new cases a year to 90. ...

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June

It appears that fed funding for the Nevada outbreak investigation got negotiated away to cover funding for the war.  Real great prioritizing, assholes!

Federal money for Hepatitis C outbreak will have to wait another day

Las Vegas Sun - Las Vegas,NV,USA

By Lisa Mascaro · June 27, 2008 · 10:45 AM WASHINGTON — Funding for the investigation into the Hepatitis C outbreak in Las Vegas was stripped from the final ...

Sounds good, but it appears they may pull the funding due to the stigma of hep C & IV-drug users.  Not real bright either ....

Feds spending $7.5 million on harm reduction

Xtra.ca - Toronto,Ontario,Canada

"Under the hepatitis C Program, $4 million of the annual budget supports activities related to harm reduction, since intravenous drug users is a driving ...

Doc gives this guy hep C.  The guy files a complaint with the state.  They dismiss the complaint.  Never tell the guy (now one of us).  Three years later they apologize.  I hope he sues the shit outta them.

Complaint Against Dix Hills Doctor At Center of Hepatitis Scare ...

Newsinferno.com - New York,NY,USA

Raymond Bookstaver says he contracted hepatitis C in Dr. Harvey Finkelstein office. Bookstaver filed a complaint against Finkelstein in 2005, ...

Having just been denied parole after serving 25 years, this lifer is a peer health advocate for fellow inmates in Canada ....

Inmate rewarded for work to prevent spread of disease in prisons

Ottawa Citizen - Ontario, Canada

He has provided prevention education and support to prisoners living with HIV and hepatitis C, and advocated for better health care and HIV prevention ...

'Lifer' honoured for work educating prison inmates about HIV ...

The Canadian Press – TORONTO

They were also 20 times more likely to have hepatitis C and 10 times more likely to be infected with HIV than the non-prison population. ...

Australia’s Chopper Read got hep C in prison: forced to use shared razors as the guards looked on; now passes on a liver to pass on to the next one of us who needs one.  Now that’s pretty damn straight up ....

'Dying' Chopper Read refuses transplant

NEWS.com.au – Australia

By Nuie Te Koha MARK "Chopper" Read has deadly hepatitis C and refuses to seek a liver transplant to save his life. "I am dying and I accept that," the ...

I won't fight for life: Chopper

NEWS.com.au – Australia

Read has hepatitis C, but has ruled out a life-saving liver transplant because he does not believe he deserves one. "A transplant would save me, ...

Dying 'Chopper' refuses transplant

Advertiser Adelaide - Adelaide,South Australia,Australia

MARK "Chopper" Read has deadly hepatitis C – and refuses to seek a liver transplant to save his life. "I am dying and I accept that," the notorious criminal ...

Live in Las Vegas?  Wanna know if your doc’s got a shady past?  Now you can check it out online ....

Board to post doctors' malpractice history

San Diego Union Tribune - United States

The unanimous decision comes after a hepatitis C outbreak in southern Nevada drew focus on the Board of Medical Examiners' operations. ...

Doctors' Malpractice History Goes Online

Fox5 KVVU - Las Vegas,NV,USA

The decision came in response to the hepatitis C outbreak in Las Vegas, which exposed 50000 people to hepatitis B, C and HIV and infected eight with acute ......

South Carolina Governor vetoes students’ privacy.  What an asshole!

Sanford vetoes bill to halt HIV notifications at schools

Charleston Post Courier - Charleston,SC,USA

"If my son or daughter was sitting in class or was on the sporting field with a fellow student who happened to have Hepatitis C, as a parent I would want to ...

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May

A pretty cool interview with Beach Boy Dennis Wilson ...

Celebrity Health - David Marks

BBC News – UK

He left the band - for the second time - in 1999 after being diagnosed with hepatitis C. He finally beat the virus in 2004, but still remains the spokesman ...

Cool Beans.  A couple of heppers met in a chat room for hep C, got hitched then went downtown with the whole wedding party and distributed leaflets about our disease.  Right on!

The hepatitis C wedding

Times Online – UK

A couple in Cornwall married at a wedding with a hepatitis C theme. How a killer disease brought two people together Seventy guests file out from the ...

Nevada investigators ruled out a bunch of heppers who were treated at this clinic if they had a history of IV drug use, dialasys, organ transplants, or blood transfusions.  So much for objectivity ....   

Health Buzz: Hep C, the Flu and Other Health News

U.S. News & World Report - Washington,DC,USA

Health authorities said they don't know for sure how the patients were infected, but they've confirmed that those affected tested negative for hepatitis C ...

This doc’s dealing with his 12^th malpractice suit.  This time, for reusing syringes & giving now countless numbers of patients hep C....  

Dix Hills Doctor Settles First Hepatitis C Medical Malpractice Case

Newsinferno.com - New York,NY,USA

In 1999, Corrado said he became ill, was diagnosed with hepatitis C—a blood-borne disease that can cause severe liver damage—and immediately called ...

Sounded like a damn cool idea till the very last line in the article which reveals the clinic’s purpose: "Along with that, to try to help them with all these other issues that they have, so that we can be successful with treatment." What if you don’t want treatment?  

City clinic offers total care for hepatitis ...

Guelph Mercury - Guelph,Ontario,Canada

A hepatitis C clinic in Guelph could soon become the first incorporated hepatitis C agency in Ontario, and perhaps the first in Canada. ...

77, 85, and counting ....  

85 Now Identified With Hepatitis C in Las Vegas Investigation

InjuryBoard.com - Tampa,FL,USA

The most expansive public health investigation in US history has added more names to the list of patients who've contracted hepatitis C from the reuse of ...

More Hepatitis C Cases Tied to Las Vegas Clinic

Wall Street Journal Blogs - New York,NY,USA

The hepatitis C outbreak tied to unsafe practices at a Las Vegas clinic got uglier yesterday, as health officials said some 77 cases of the chronic liver ...

Not only this, but his doc recommended the pot ....  

Man Dies After Being Denied a Liver Transplant For Using Medical ...

Drug War Chronicle - Washington,DC,USA

SEATTLE (AP) — A man who was denied a liver transplant because he used marijuana with medical approval to ease the symptoms of hepatitis C has died. ...

Is medical-marijuana use reason to deny someone an organ transplant?

Seattle Times - United States

Garon, who had hepatitis C, died Thursday. His attorney says Garon's use of medical pot prompted doctors to refuse to put him on the list for a liver ...

Kuwait gets organized to deal with hep C ....

Conference focus on Hepatitis C patients

Kuwait Times – Kuwait

According to the Hepatitis Foundation International, people in developing countries are at risk for contracting Hepatitis C in different ways than those in ...

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April

Planning a trip to Arabia?  Got hep C?  ... you too could be deported.  No shit....

More stringent health checks

GulfNews - Dubai,United Arab Emirates

By Nina Muslim, Staff Reporter Dubai: The UAE has added blood-borne disease hepatitis C to the list of deportable diseases, which includes HIV, ...

Definitely in the category of WHAT THE F@CK?!?!

Doctors Associated With Hep Scare Open New Clinic

KLAS-TV - Las Vegas,NV,USA

Six people are thought to have contracted hepatitis C. A Henderson city official says Doctors Herrero and Mason don't plan on doing any procedures at their ...

Ah yes ... the mysterious case of the missing patient files.  Yea ... right ....

Attorneys Look For Patients' Records in Hep C Case

KLAS-TV - Las Vegas,NV,USA

We'd like to remind you the health district has only confirmed seven cases of hepatitis C, linked to the current health crisis. ...

These drugs (aka, statins) keep peeking their little heads up in our disease area.  It seems they have some worth in actually LOWERING VIRAL LOAD.  Works for us.  Something worth keeping an eye on, fo’ sho’ ....

Cholesterol drug fights another deadly ‘C’

Albany Times Union - Albany,NY,USA

As a nurse, I am well aware of hepatitis C, a viral infection spread mainly by contact with blood and blood products. In a heartbeat, one needle stick can ...

Anti-cholesterol drug may fight hepatitis C, OKC researchers say

Tulsa World - Tulsa,OK,USA

By AP OKLAHOMA CITY -- The anti-cholesterol drug fluvastatin holds promise in the fight against hepatitis C, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center ...

New Treatment for Hepatitis C found in an Old Drug

HealthJockey.com - Mumbai,Maharashtra,India

2 percent of Americans, which amounts to around 4 million, across the US, suffer from the blood-borne infectious disease chronic hepatitis C, which is four ...

Researchers Find New Treatment for Hepatitis C
PhysOrg.com - Evergreen,VA,USA

“This research is the first to demonstrate the antiviral activity of Fluvastatin in human beings infected with hepatitis C, most of whom were non-responders ...

Guess the folks in Vegas who got hep C from that clinic shouldn’t hold their breath.  New Zealanders started this suit in the 90’s ...

Hep C blood victims still awaiting compensation

New Zealand Herald - New Zealand
Victims infected with hepatitis C in the 1990s bad blood scandal are still awaiting compensation from the Government while they battle their lawyers over ...

 ... & the beat goes on ....

Civil Lawsuits In Hepatitis C Investigation Moving Forward

KTNV Las Vegas - Las Vegas,NV,USA

As the criminal investigation continues into the Hepatitis C exposure investigation, lawyers are working on moving the civil lawsuits forward. ...

More Violations Found At Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada
Newsinferno.com - New York,NY,USA
These revelations have caused some to speculate that the reused syringes and medicine vials might not be the primary cause of a hepatitis C outbreak linked ...

No Charges Filed Against Doctors Weeks After Hepatitis C Investigation
KTNV Las Vegas - Las Vegas,NV,USA

He was infected with Hepatitis C through a blood transfusion in 1985 and for the past four years has been a patient at the Endoscopy Center of Southern ...

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March

Now here’s an interesting use of privacy laws.  Ah yes ... the best law money can buy ....

Investigator Says Hepatitis C Probe Slowed By Nevada Law

KOLO - Reno,NV,USA

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A health investigator says his attempts to collect information about a clinic spread that hepatitis C have been frustrated by laws ...

I don’t believe he got it from eatin’ a peach, but it matters not ....

Allman Brothers Band says Gregg Allman has hepatitis C; cancels ...

International Herald Tribune - France

AP ATLANTA: An Allman Brothers Band member says Gregg Allman is unable to play several upcoming concerts because of his treatments for hepatitis C. Drummer ...

For a long time now, we’ve speculated that having a medical procedure will be added high on the list of ways you can get hep C. ... Straightup ...

CDC: Hepatitis C in Nev. could be 'tip of iceberg' - USATODAY.com

USA Today

An outbreak of hepatitis C at a Nevada clinic may represent the tip of an iceberg of ... anesthesia by injection at the clinic between March 2004 and Jan. ...

Clearly, ya wanna think twice before going to a medical clinic in Nevada.  ... o.k, so only 6 people claimed to have gotten infected (so far), but the director of the clinics has stopped practicing medicine, 3 docs on the regulatory board have recused themselves & the governor publicly denies any wrongdoing.  Nonetheless, inspectors found the center regularly reused vials & syringes. Alrighty then ....  Read it for yourself.

Nevada Health Officials Fight Hepatitis C Outbreak : NPR

National Public Radio

All Things Considered, March 4, 2008 · Prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation into practices at the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada, ...

Conflicts of Interest In Nevada Hepatitis C Investigation

Nevada injury Board

Conflicts of Interest In Nevada Hepatitis C Investigation. Posted by Jane Akre Monday, March 17, 2008 11:10 AM EST Print Article Comments Feed ...

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February

... and this month, in the category of what-the-f**k-ever someone went out of their way to tell us that sylimarin, aka milk thistle doesn’t lower hep C viral load or ALT levels.  Sure ... that’s big f-in’ news for those of us with normal alts ... right?  At least they admitted that the people in this study had less fatigue, nausea & other hep C symptoms (no shit, Sherlock).  But then they said the damn thing isn’t statistically valid.  Nothing like circular logic.  This one had to be paid for by big pharma.

Silymarin does not affect virus activity or ALT levels in

EurekAlert (press release) - Washington,DC,USA

In a survey of patients with chronic hepatitis C who participated in a National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases-sponsored long-term ...

A big victory here, as the state of Illinois gets socked for 8 million to 4 hep C infected inmates for nontreatment for their hep C, citing “cruel & unusual punishment.”

Lack of inmate treatment costs state $8M in lawsuit

Journal Gazette-TC Online

MATTOON — A federal jury in Urbana this week awarded $8 million to four state prisoners who claimed they were not treated for hepatitis C under Department of Corrections policies, a Mattoon attorney said Thursday....

Sounds like people with hep C living in the Rockport, Maine area have one helluva support group they can go to. 

Midcoast Hepatitis C/Liver Support Group Meets 1st Wednesdays

By Pen Bay Healthcare

Since 2001, the Midcoast Hepatitis C/Liver Support Group has helped patients find doctors, get treatment, clear hepatitis, find funds available for medication, and support each other in many ways...

She was sure one helluva Dame (which is how the Brits knight a woman), and her widower sounds like one helluva man.  Here on the anniversary of announcing her hep C to the world, he slams his government for their inaction about hep C. 

Husband blast on Anita's bug

The Sun – Health, UK

Gordon, 65, said: “Letting people die because you can’t be bothered to put proper services in place is totally unacceptable....”

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January

It must be nice to get off so easily.  Just head up yer local Red Cross....

Charges dropped against former Canadian Red Cross head in tainted ...

PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung) - Wien,Austria

The CRC pleaded guilty in 2005 to distributing blood tainted with HIV and hepatitis C and was fined C$5000. The Red Cross apologized and provided C$1.5 ...

Why the hell this is news escapes us, but ....  Apparently the rapist has hep C, but the woman he raped didn’t catch it.  Geez – they coulda asked us ....

'Stinky rapist' had hepatitis C

Adelaidenow – Australia

By Christine Flatley A FOUL-smelling man who raped a woman in her Brisbane home was infected with hepatitis C at the time, a court has been told. ...

Northern California cities are beginning to draft “body art” ordinances, to begin to regulate tattoo/piercing parlors, thinking this’ll help curb the spread of hep C.  Seems to us, they might wanna start with local hospitals ....

Body art draft ordinance draws public comments

Inside Bay Area - Oakland,CA,USA

By Rachel Cohen , STAFF WRITER SAN LORENZO — Proper sterilization and hepatitis C were among residents' top concerns about a draft ordinance on body art ...

Looks like the Pakistani government’s gonna get into hep C awareness.  So many people over there are needing liver transplants, they have to build onto a hospital to accommodate.  So, I hope our guys over there in the military are being careful ....

Hepatology ward at SZH soon

Daily Times - Lahore,Pakistan

He said now the treatment was available to hepatitis-C patients for Rs 25000–30000 instead of Rs 300000– 400000 for interferon therapy.

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