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Hispanic Health Program
VIRAL HEPATITIS PREVENTION
  
WHAT IS THE PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM?
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Viral
hepatitis is a major public health problem affecting people of all
ages, races, and ethnicities. Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and
hepatitis C are the main types of viral hepatitis found in the
United States. |
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Hepatitis
C |
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Hepatitis C is caused
by infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV). |
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HCV infection is the
most common chronic (long-term) blood borne viral infection in the
United States. |
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About
3.9 million Americans have been infected with HCV and 2.7 million
people have chronic infection. Many people are not aware that they
are infected and are not clinically ill. |
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Overall, African
Americans have higher rates of HCV infection than whites or
Hispanics. |
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HCV infection occurs
among people of all ages, but most new infections occur among people
20-39 years of age. |
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New HCV infections per
year have declined from an average 240,000 in the 1980s to about
25,000 in 2001. |
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Chronic liver disease
is the tenth leading cause of death among adults in the United
States. It is estimated that 40% to 60% of chronic liver disease is
due to infection with HCV and it is the most common reason for liver
transplantation. |
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Direct exposure to
blood poses the highest risk for acquiring hepatitis C and exposure
to HCV through illegal injection drug use accounts for the largest
number of infected people. Some people were infected with HCV
through transfusions received before July 1992. |
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People at increased
risk of HCV infection should get tested. People who test positive
for hepatitis C should be evaluated for chronic liver disease.
Unlike hepatitis A and hepatitis B, there is no vaccine available to
prevent hepatitis C. |
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Hepatitis
A |
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Hepatitis A is caused
by infection with hepatitis A virus (HAV). |
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There is no chronic
(long-term) infection caused by HAV. |
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An estimated 93,000
new HAV infections occurred in 2001. |
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Hepatitis
A rates are higher among Hispanics than among non-Hispanics. |
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Infection with HAV
most often occurs by living with or having sex with an infected
person. Others get infected with HAV by eating food or water that is
contaminated with this virus. Many people, especially children, do
not show symptoms of their infection, but can transmit HAV to
others. |
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Hepatitis A vaccine is
available to prevent HAV infection and is recommended for travelers
to areas with increased rates of hepatitis A, men who have sex with
men, injecting and non-injecting illegal drug users, persons with
clotting-factor disorders, persons with chronic liver disease and
children living in areas with increased rates of hepatitis A during
the baseline period from 1987-1997. |
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Hepatitis B |
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Hepatitis B is caused
by infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV). |
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The highest rates of
new and long-term HBV infections occur among African Americans. |
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The number of new HBV
infections per year in the U.S. has declined from an average of
450,000 in the 1980s to about 78,000 in 2001. |
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HBV infection can
cause chronic (long-term) infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the
liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death. An estimated 1.25
million Americans have chronic HBV infection. |
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HBV is spread by
direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person.
People can become infected by having sex or sharing needles with an
infected person. A baby can get hepatitis B from an infected mother
during childbirth. |
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Vaccine is available
to prevent HBV infection and is recommended for all children 0-18
years of age, people with multiple sex partners or who have been
diagnosed with an STD, men who have sex with men, illegal injection
drug users, persons whose jobs expose them to human blood, clients
and staff of institutions for the developmentally disabled,
hemodialysis patients, recipients of clotting-factors, household
contacts and sexual partners of persons with chronic HBV infection,
adoptees from HBV endemic countries, and inmates of long-term
correctional facilities. |
WHAT HAS CDC
ACCOMPLISHED?
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In the late 1990s,
hepatitis A vaccine became used widely among children and the number
of hepatitis A cases has now reached historic lows. |
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The greatest
decline in HBV infections has happened among children and
adolescents due to routine hepatitis B vaccination. |
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Funding has been
provided for 50 hepatitis C coordinators in states and large cities
to integrate viral hepatitis counseling, testing, referral, and
vaccination among high risk adults into existing public health
programs. |
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Funding has been
provided to 18 projects to integrate viral hepatitis prevention
services into STD, HIV, drug treatment, and correctional healthcare
settings. |
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Funding has also
been provided to 11 organizations to test, disseminate, and evaluate
educational materials, messages, and training programs to prevent
and control viral hepatitis transmission. |
WHAT ARE THE NEXT
STEPS?
Successful models for
implementing the integration of hepatitis prevention messages into
existing public health programs serving people at increased risk for
infection should be implemented. This includes hepatitis coordinators as
focal points in all 50 States and large metropolitan area health
departments and partnerships with non-profit organizations to continue
to develop, disseminate, and evaluate culturally appropriate hepatitis
prevention education and training materials and training activities for
health professionals.
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