A report from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has showed a more than three-time rise in instances of hepatitis C in four Appalachian states. Hepatitis C (HCV) infections mostly loomed over rural areas of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia, increasing by 364%.

A 364% jump was seen between 2006 and 2012 in the mostly rural areas of Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia. People under the age of 30 faced the brunt of the infection. Intravenous drug use contributed 73% in the rise of those infections. The report also showed 21% rise in hospital admissions for the treatment of opioid dependency in the four states during the same period. A rapid rise of 12.6% was noticed in the portion of people who said they injected drugs.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne viral infection, which damages liver. Sharing of IV drugs and drug paraphernalia is the most common form. A majority of affected people didn’t even exhibit symptoms of the disease, said Dr. Stephen May, the Sullivan County Regional Health Department's Medical Director.

“It causes an asymptomatic chronic disease that may present ultimately liver failure or hepatitis has an increased risk for liver cancer. It is the number one cause for liver transplant in this country”, said May.

Vicki Cooper-Trammell, who works for Frontier Health, said they have come up with a program called Hope for Tennessee to provide free testing for Hepatitis C.

Cooper-Trammell said they have been focusing on high-risk groups for tests at their drug and alcohol facilities. Results for nearly half of those trials have turned out positive.