Health officials in Maine say the state's opioid epidemic has likely been a major contributor to a recent rise in reported hepatitis B cases.
The Portland Press Herald reports the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported 29 cases of acute hepatitis B this year through Sept. 1. In a typical year, Maine has fewer than 10 cases.
The state has a rate of 2.2 hepatitis B cases per 100,000 residents so far in 2016. That figure is more than twice the national average for 2014, the latest data available.
Maine CDC officials say sharing needles is a major risk factor for the infection, which can cause liver damage.
To combat the increase, health officials have advocated for the expansion of needle exchange programs statewide.
Copyright The Associated Press
