CENTRAL FLORIDA — 9 Investigates started digging into the problem in May when a news release got the attention of a producer.
The Orange County Health Department was trying to raise awareness about the disease, encouraging Baby Boomers to get tested. But there was no mention of its relationship to the heroin epidemic.
“If people are using injection drug use for heroin or fentanyl or opioids, absolutely they are increasing their risk. I'll give you that as a talking point,” said Dr. Kevin Sharin of the Orange County Health Department.
The numbers readily available on a Florida Department of Health database are astounding. The state reports more than 3,300 cases of hepatitis C across Central Florida just halfway through 2016.
There were about 4,700 cases in 2014, and about the same number in 2015.
9 Investigates has been tracking cases, week-by-week since January. 9 Investigates’ report breaks down the numbers by county.
Orange County reported the highest number of cases with 935, followed by Brevard County, with more than 409.