TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. -- A public health emergency has been declared in Tippecanoe County after a rise in hepatitis C cases there.
State Health Commissioner Jerome Adams announced the declaration Thursday morning.
The move allows the county to establish a needle exchange program to reduce the spread of hepatitis C through shared intravenous (IV) drug use.
“Tippecanoe County saw a nearly 50 percent increase in hepatitis C cases between 2014 and 2015, which can indicate widespread injection drug use and be a precursor to other diseases, such as HIV,” said Adams. “While we understand that some community members have concerns about these programs, we have seen in other counties how syringe exchanges can help stop the spread of HIV and hepatitis C and improve a community’s health by connecting residents to health insurance, treatment and other services.”
The health emergency is slated to last until at least December 14, 2017.
Tippecanoe County is home to Purdue University in the county seat of Lafayette.
The county coroner, Donna Avolt, issued a warning last year after seeing a spike in heroin-related deaths and overdoses. Avolt said she was seeing one or two overdoses per week when three years prior, there were a rarity.
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Dr. Adams has previously declared public health emergencies in Clark, Lawrence, Madison, Monroe, Fayette, Wayne, Allen and Scott counties.
Senate Enrolled Act 461 made needle exchanges legal in Indiana for the first time in early 2015 when Scott County dealt with a similar issue, but on top of a rise in hepatitis C, the county saw an unprecedented HIV outbreak.
Scott County has treated more than 200 HIV cases since the health emergency was declared in 2015, and in addition to needle exchange programs has set up counseling and other support programs to help their population recover.
You can read an in-depth investigation into the issues in Scott County here.
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