THERE are 721 people in Warrington who have been diagnosed with deadly disease hepatitis C.

On World Hepatitis Day, on Thursday, the Health Protection Agency estimated 22,000 people in the north west had the infection.

The region has consistently had the greatest number of diagnosed cases across England since 1999.

New figures show a cumulative total of 19,810 diagnosed cases of hepatitis C in the north west between 1995 to 2010. The total number of cases for England is 85,565.

While Warrington has the sixth lowest rate of the region’s 24 PCT areas, Manchester tops the list with 2,899 cases.

At the bottom of the table is Knowsley with 490 cases. Meanwhile Liverpool has 2,287 and Halton and St Helens 1,111.

Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus that can lead to cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure and death.

People who may have been infected include current or former injecting drug users, people who received blood transfusions before September 1991 or blood products before September 1986 in the UK or those who had tattoos, medical or dental work abroad.

Dr Evdokia Dardamissis, regional lead for hepatitis, said: “If people think they may have been exposed to the virus, it is important they contact their GP and request a test. A simple blood test is all that is needed to find out if they have the infection.”

To raise awareness of the impact of hepatitis C, charity the Hepatitis C Trust is launching a campaign called The Great British C Party, which encourages people to host dinner parties filled with liver-friendly treats.

Recipes including healthy salads and soups have been provided by Channel 4’s TV chef Gizzi Erskine. For more information or to download the recipes from their website.