CDC Viral Hepatitis Updates – New phase of the Know Hepatitis B campaign

CDC Viral Hepatitis Updates

Know Hepatitis B CampaignCDC has launched the third phase of the Know Hepatitis B campaign designed to promote hepatitis B testing among Asian Americans. The Know Hepatitis B campaign represents the first national multi-lingual communications campaign on hepatitis B among Asian Americans. Hepatitis B disproportionately affects Asian Americans and is especially common in many Asian and Pacific Island countries. While Asian Americans make up about 5% of the total U.S. population, they account for half of the 2.2 million Americans living with chronic hepatitis B. In fact, one in 12 Asian Americans has hepatitis B.http://www.cdc.gov/features/know-hepatitisb-campaign/index.html

Annual Report to the Nation on the Status of Cancer, 1975-2012, featuring the increasing incidence of liver cancerThis year’s report has a special feature that examines trends in liver cancer and highlights viral hepatitis B and viral hepatitis C as they are both primary causes of liver cancer. Some report highlights include:

• Hepatitis B testing followed by hepatitis B therapy is associated with a 50%–80% reduction in the risk of liver cancer.
• Individuals born during 1945-1965 are more likely than other birth cohorts to be diagnosed with hepatitis C virus infection.
• Cures of hepatitis C virus infection are associated with a 75% reduction in risk of liver cancer.

http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/featuredtopics/livercancerandhepatitis.htm

MMWR –Progress Toward Eliminating Hepatitis A Disease in the United StatesHepatitis A virus (HAV) disease disproportionately affects adolescents and young adults, American Indian/Alaska Native and Hispanic racial/ethnic groups, and disadvantaged populations. During 1996–2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) made incremental changes in hepatitis A (HepA) vaccination recommendations to increase coverage for children and persons at high risk for HAV infection. This report examines the temporal association of ACIP-recommended HepA vaccination and disparities in cases of HAV disease and on seroprevalence of HAV-related protection. ACIP-recommended childhood HepAvaccination in the U.S. has eliminated most absolute disparities in HAV disease by age, race/ethnicity, and geographic area with relatively modest ≥1-dose and ≥2-dose vaccine coverage. However, the increasing proportion of cases of HAV disease among adults with identified and unidentified sources of exposure underscores the importance of considering new strategies for preventing HAV infection among U.S. adults. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/65/su/su6501a6.htm