News
- April 30, 2012 | blog.AIDS.gov
May Is Hepatitis Awareness Month
The Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and public health partners across the nation will observe Hepatitis Awareness Month this May. Awareness Month serves as an opportunity to learn more about viral hepatitis risks, tests and treatment.
Read Article > - April 16, 2012 | AARP's Inside E Street
Silent Epidemic: Hepatitis C
Dr. John Ward, Director of the CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis, was interviewed by AARP's Inside E Street about the impact of hepatitis C on baby boomers. In the U.S., 75% of people with hepatitis C were born between 1945-1965. This interview also includes video of an interview with Dr. Ward discussing hepatitis C in America.
Read Article > - February 21, 2012 | Annals of Internal Medicine
Hepatitis C: The End of the Beginning and Possibly the Beginning of the End
- February 21, 2012 | Annals of Internal Medicine
The Cost-Effectiveness of Birth-Cohort Screening for Hepatitis C Antibody in U.S. Primary Care Settings
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is most prevalent among adults born from 1945 through 1965, and most of them are currently undiagnosed. Whether screening based on birth cohort is more cost-effective than screening based on other risk factors is unknown. This cost-effectiveness analysis from published evidence plus census and Medicare data estimated that 1-time screening for HCV of persons born between 1945 to 1963 followed by treatment with currently available therapies was cost-effective. A change from solely risk-based screening for HCV to 1-time screening of this birth cohort should be considered.
Link to Article > - February 21, 2012 | Annals of Internal Medicine
The Increasing Burden of Mortality From Viral Hepatitis in the United States Between 1999 and 2007
Hepatitis B and C virus infections result in significant morbidity and mortality but are often unrecognized and thus go untreated. This study used death certificate data to examine temporal trends in deaths from hepatitis B and C virus and HIV infections in the United States. Annual deaths from hepatitis C now exceed those from HIV, and deaths from hepatitis B and C are concentrated among middle-aged persons. Hepatitis B and C are critical and relatively unrecognized public health issues in the United States that have reached epidemic proportions.
Link to Article > - February 13, 2012 | Journal of Viral Hepatitis
Prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection among persons with diagnosed diabetes mellitus in the United States, 1999–2010
A recent study finds that there is a significantly greater prevalence of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) in those diagnosed with diabetes.
Read abstract > - January 31, 2012 | Clinical Infectious Diseases
Transmission of Hepatitis C Virus Infection Through Tattooing and Piercing: A Critical Review
Tattoos and piercings are increasing, especially among youths, but the risk of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection from these practices has not been adequately assessed and there are conflicting findings in the literature. The authors evaluated the risk of HCV infection from tattooing and piercing using the Meta-analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines.
Read Article > - January 12, 2012 | Hepatology
Prevalence of chronic hepatitis B among foreign-born persons living in the United States by country of origin
Estimates of the prevalence of chronic hepatitis B in the U.S. differ significantly and the contribution of foreign-born persons has not been adequately described. This analysis suggests that the number of foreign-born persons living with chronic hepatitis b in the U.S. may be significantly greater than previously reported. Assuming 300,000–600,000 U.S.-born persons with chronic hepatitis b, the total prevalence of chronic hepatitis b in the U.S. may be as high as 2.2 million.
Link to Article > - November 29, 2011 | AIDS.gov
Status Report on the Implementation of the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan
The latest status report on the Viral Hepatitis Action Plan implementation is now available. It was compiled by the Viral Hepatitis Implementation Group (VHIG).
Link to Status Report > - November 29, 2011 | OraSure.com
OraSure Technologies Receives CLIA Waiver for OraQuick(R) HCV Rapid Test
OraSure Technologies, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted a waiver under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 ("CLIA") for its OraQuick® HCV Rapid Antibody Test for use with fingerstick whole blood and venous whole blood specimens.
Link to Press Release >