Because hepatitis C does not present symptoms for up to 20 years after infection, as many as 70 percent of people with hepatitis C don't know they have it. People may progress to liver failure without treatment . . . Many states, including Ohio, are working to develop policies that address what many consider to be a public health crisis. Health officials and some lawmakers in Ohio are calling for screening guidelines and more complete data collection to identify high-risk areas and populations. Sen. Grace Drake, R-Solon, recently drafted a resolution urging the National Institutes of Health to devote more money for research and education on hepatitis C. Kallay says he felt he was blindsided by a disease for which there is no cure.
Treatment often is ineffective.
I quit drinking 13 years ago and had a good position with a good company. It seemed like my life was snatched away from me. In 1996, Kallay founded the Hepatitis C Action Task Force, a nonprofit organization to offer support for patients and raise awareness about a disease many people know little about. Hepatitis C kills about 10,000 Americans each year. The disease progresses slowly to attack the liver and can eventually lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.