Hepatitis B Information
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Accession Number
A00373
Author
US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Infectious Diseases (NCID), Hepatitis Branch
Source
CDC Fact Sheet
Release Date
August 1, 1996
Major Descriptors
High risk populations
Prevention
Transmission
Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
Topic
Hepatitis
Text
Hepatitis B
CLINICAL FEATURES:
ETIOLOGIC AGENT:
--> Hepatitis B virus.
INCIDENCE:
--> 140,000-320,000 infections/yr in United States. --> 70,000-160,000 symptomatic infections/yr.
SEQUELAE:
--> Of symptomatic infections, 8400-19,000 hospitalizations/yr and 140-320 (0.2%) deaths/yr. --> Of all infections, 8,000-32,000 (6%-10%) chronic infections/yr, and 5,000-6,000 deaths/yr from chronic liver disease including primary liver cancer.
PREVALENCE:
--> Estimated 1-1.25 million chronically infected Americans.
COSTS:
--> Estimated $700 million (1991 dollars)/yr (medical and work loss).
TRANSMISSION:
--> Bloodborne; sexual; perinatal.
RISK GROUPS:
--> Injection drug users. --> Sexually active heterosexuals. --> Homosexual men. --> Infants/children of immigrants from disease-endemic areas. --> Low socioeconomic level. --> Sexual/household contacts of infected persons. --> Infants born to infected mothers. --> Health care workers. --> Hemodialysis patients.
SURVEILLANCE:
--> National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System. --> Viral Hepatitis Surveillance Program. --> Sentinel Counties Studies.
TRENDS:
--> Incidence increased through 1985 and then declined 55% through 1993 because of wider use of vaccine among adults, modification of high-risk behaviors, and possibly a decrease in the number of susceptible persons. Since 1993, increases observed among the three major risk groups: sexually active heterosexuals, homosexual men, and injection drug users.
PREVENTION:
--> Hepatitis B vaccine available since 1982. --> Screening pregnant women and treatment of infants born to infected women. --> Routine vaccination of infants and 11-12 year olds. --> Catch-up vaccination of high-risk groups of all ages. --> Screening of blood/organ/tissue donors.
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