Reps. Kooiman, Accavitti, Ball, Baxter, Bieda, Booher, Brandenburg, Brown, Caswell, Clack, Condino, Cushingberry, Elsenheimer, Espinoza, Farrah, Garfield, Gillard, Gleason, Gosselin, Green, Hansen, Hildenbrand, Hopgood, Jones, LaJoy, Leland, Lemmons, III, Lemmons, Jr., Lipsey, Marleau, McDowell, Meyer, Miller, Mortimer, Nitz, Pearce, Polidori, Proos, Shaffer, Sheltrown, Alma Smith, Spade, Stahl, Stakoe, Taub, Tobocman and Vander Veen offered the following resolution:

House Resolution No. 224.

A resolution recognizing May 2006 as Hepatitis Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.

Whereas, It is estimated that 4 million Americans and 180,000 Michigan residents have been infected with the hepatitis C virus (HCV); and

Whereas, Seventy-five to eighty-five percent of individuals infected with HCV go on to develop chronic infections, which can result in damage to the liver, end-stage liver disease, or death; and

Whereas, It is estimated that treatment for HCV infected patients will exceed $13 billion by the year 2019; and

Whereas, Approximately 50 percent of treated individuals may clear the virus from their bodies, and for others, risk of progression may be prevented or delayed through early detection and appropriate medical management; and

Whereas, HCV is a blood-borne virus.  Infected individuals may transmit it to others through sexual contact, from mother to child during the birthing process, from occupational exposure to blood, or through injection drug use; and

Whereas, It is believed that the majority of people with HCV, including many infected through blood transfusions before 1992 or blood products produced before 1987, do not know they are infected.  Many at high-risk for future infection are not aware of their risk and may not be knowledgeable about ways to prevent the spread of infection; and

Whereas, Increased public awareness and education about HCV, a continuum of hepatitis-related services including prevention programs, and medical management/treatment programs are needed to ensure the best possible health outcomes for individuals already infected with HCV and to prevent new infections; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That the members of this legislative body recognize May 2006 as Hepatitis Awareness Month in the state of Michigan.