Northland could have double the amount of cases of hepatitis C than thought

An improved Pharmac-funded cure is celebrated as World Hepatitis Day nears.

About half the people with hepatitis C in Northland don't know it, so there could be 1000 cases in the region, rather than the known 500.

Today is World Hepatitis Day and Northland District Health Board is encouraging people to get tested for the disease.

The viral disease with the potential to destroy the liver is curable. A new hepatitis vaccine will to give people fewer side-effects and a nearly 100 per cent chance of a cure.

A Northland woman said she had miraculous results from the vaccine, Viekira Pak, which is fully funded by Pharmac.

For 20 years, Susan* didn't realise she was living with the life-threatening hepatitis C virus.

After carrying the disease for around 40 years, the Bay of Islands resident was desperate to be rid of it. When the chance came up to trial a free breakthrough treatment two years ago, she leapt at it.

"I didn't know I had hepatitis C until my 40s," the 64-year old said. "I contracted it in my late teens or early 20s."

It possibly came from a blood transfusion she had when her son was born. She and many others have benefited from Viekira Pak, a combination of four antiviral medicines which Pharmac has publicly funded from July 2016. The 12-week course has proved 95 per cent-plus effective.

An improved version of the drug to be released shortly is expected to be 99 per cent effective as a cure for those with genotype 1 or 4 of the disease.

Until recently, Kiwis with hepatitis C only had the treatment option of Interferon and Ribavarin, which offered a low success rate and painful side-effects.

Today, the virus is curable, treatment is free, and side effects are limited to itchy skin and dermatitis.

However, of 50,000 New Zealanders estimated to be carrying the liver-damaging, blood-borne virus, only half are diagnosed. In Northland, there are 500 people known to have hepatitis C so there are probably 500 who are unaware they have it.

Shame around the origins of infection can lead people to minimise or deny the seriousness of hepatitis.

Another Northland patient, Clive*, also had an excellent result from Viekira Pak.

"I'm 100 per cent cured. I'm as happy as a pig in the proverbial. I'd had hep C for quite a while and put on a huge amount of weight but today I'm walking laps of the park and town. I couldn't have done that 12 months ago. I have more energy and I seem to be more active.

''With the liver problem, you lose energy and feel dull, which leads to weight gain. As a result of that I got depressed and stayed at home."

Clive wasn't aware he had the virus until recently.

"I could have had it for 30 years. I only got diagnosed two years ago when I came back from Australia. There were two incidents – I stood on a syringe on the beach, then in New Zealand, I met a lady at the casino and had unprotected sex. But having said that, I was a heroin addict in my late 20s and I've got tattoos all over me."

Hepatitis C symptoms include fatigue, joint pain, loss of appetite, nausea and mood swings. Without treatment people who have it will suffer liver damage, and many develop liver cancer.

*Names have been changed.