CDC Viral Hepatitis: World Hepatitis Day - July 29th

World Hepatitis Day - July 29th For World Hepatitis Day, learn more about the different types of viral hepatitis that impact millions worldwide and what is being done to help eliminate hepatitis. The World Health Organization (WHO) data show an estimated 257 million people living with chronic hepatitis B and 71 million people living with chronic hepatitis C worldwide. Viral hepatitis causes more than one million deaths each year. World Hepatitis Day is an opportunity to learn the global burden of this disease, CDC’s efforts to combat viral hepatitis around the world, and actions individuals can take. MMWR: Progress in Testing for and Treatment of Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Persons Who Inject Drugs — Georgia, 2018 The country of Georgia, with a high prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and a high prevalence of injection drug use, launched a hepatitis C elimination program in 2015. Since 2006, needle and syringe programs (NSPs) have offered HCV antibody testing for persons who inject drugs. Following the launch of the hepatitis C elimination program, the number of HCV antibody tests performed at NSPs has increased fivefold, and the number of persons with positive test results has doubled. Hepatitis C testing at NSPs is an effective strategy for identifying persons with HCV infection. The program in Georgia might serve as a model for other countries. U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) Draft: Recommendation Statement This is a Draft Recommendation Statement. The USPSTF recommends screening for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in pregnant women at their first prenatal visit. Grade: A Hepatitis A Outbreak CDC’s Division of Viral Hepatitis (DVH) has been assisting state and local health departments with hepatitis A outbreaks, spread through person-to-person contact. Since the outbreaks were first identified in 2016, 25 states have publicly reported the following as of July 19, 2019: • Cases: 22,295 • Hospitalizations: 13,184 (59%) • Deaths: 216 CDC: 2019 Pink Book Webinar Series CDC is offering a weekly series of 15 one-hour webinars that will provide an overview of vaccination principles, general recommendations, immunization strategies, and specific information about vaccine-preventable diseases and the vaccines that prevent them. Each webinar will explore a chapter from the 13th edition of Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases (the “Pink Book”) and will also include updated information from recent Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meetings and votes. Continuing Education (CE) will be available for each event. • Register for Rotavirus and Hepatitis A webinar on Wednesday, July 31, 2019 from 12–1 p.m. EDT.  ------------------- Follow us on Twitter - @CDChep Viral hepatitis: www.cdc.gov/HEPATITIS/ You are subscribed to Viral Hepatitis Updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)