Aktuelle smitsomme sygdomme

Özgür Koc, Pierre Van Damme, Dana Busschots, Rob Bielen, Anmarie Forier, Frederik Nevens and Geert Robaeys

Background Belgium is a low-endemic country for hepatitis B. Universal hepatitis B vaccination in infants with catch-up in the age cohort of 10–13 year-olds began in 1999. Aims Our objective was to evaluate the effect of prevention and control strategies on acute hepatitis B notification rates in Flanders (Belgium) from 2009 to 2017. Methods This observational study collected demographic data and risk factors for acute hepatitis B from mandatory notifications to the Agency for Care and Health. Results In Flanders, acute hepatitis B notification rates per 100,000 population decreased from 1.6 in 2009 to 0.7 in 2017. These rates declined in all age groups: 0–4-year-olds: 0.6 to 0.0, 5–14-year-olds: 0.2 to 0.0, 15–24-year-olds: 0.8 to 0.7, 25–34-year-olds: 3.4 to 1.1 and ≥ 35-year-olds: 1.59 to 0.7. There was also a downward trend in acute hepatitis B notification rates in native Belgians and first-generation migrants. Among 15–24-year-olds and 25–34-year-olds, a possible reversal of the decreasing trend was observed in 2016 and 2015, respectively. Among 548 acute hepatitis B cases, the main route of transmission was sexual activity (30.7%), and the pattern of transmission routes over time showed an increasing proportion of sexual transmission in men who have sex with men (MSM) after 2014. During the period from 2009 to 2017, five mother-to-child transmissions were reported. Conclusions Prevention and control strategies were effective in reducing the acute hepatitis B notification rate. However, stronger prevention and control measures are needed in adult risk groups, particularly MSM.…

A new study finds that daily low-dose aspirin may decrease the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection. …

The number and proportion of increased risk donors have increased since 2010, likely because of the epidemic of opioid overdose deaths. Compared with standard risk donors, increased risk donors were significantly more likely to have hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus infection.

A new global strategy is designed to accelerate a cure for hepatitis B, which affects millions of people around the world. …

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month, and May 19 is Hepatitis Testing Day. Many people with hepatitis B and hepatitis C remain unaware of their infection until serious complications occur.

Lauren MK Mason, Erika Duffell, Irene K Veldhuijzen, Uarda Petriti, Eveline M Bunge and Lara Tavoschi

Background People living with HIV (PLHIV) and people in prison are population groups with a potentially high risk and/or prevalence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. Aim We conducted a systematic review in order to find prevalence and incidence estimates in these populations in the European Union/European Economic Area (EU/EEA). Methods Original research articles published between January 2005 and February 2017 were retrieved from PubMed and Embase in February 2017. Results Fifty-two articles were included, providing 97 estimates of HBV/HCV infection prevalence or incidence. Estimates of HBV infection prevalence ranged between 2.9% and43.4% in PLHIV and 0.0% and 25.2% in people in prison. Estimates of HCV infection prevalence ranged from 2.9% to 43.4% in PLHIV and 0.0% to 25.2% in people in prison. Incidence estimates ranged between 0.0 and 2.5 cases per 100 person-years for HBV infection in PLHIV. No such data was available for people in prison. HCV infection incidence ranged between 0.3 and 0.9 cases per 100 person-years in PLHIV and between 1 and 1.2 cases per 100 person-years in people in prison. Prevalence estimates were generally higher than in the general population, especially for HCV infection and among groups with multiple risk factors. Conclusions PLHIV, people in prison and groups with multiple risk factors, have a high prevalence of HBV and HCV and may be at ongoing risk of infection. These groups should be among the populations prioritised and targeted for active case finding and prevention programmes in the EU/EEA.…

Kassiani Mellou, Chrysovalantis Silvestros, Eirini Saranti-Papasaranti, Athanasios Koustenis, Ioanna D. Pavlopoulou, Theano Georgakopoulou, Chryssoula Botsi and Agapios Terzidis

After the 2016 Balkan route border closures, vaccination of refugee children in Greece was mainly performed by non-governmental organisations. Activities varied between camps, resulting in heterogeneity of vaccination coverage (VC). In April 2017, the European programme ‘PHILOS - Emergency health response to refugee crisis’ took over vaccination coordination. Interventions were planned for the first time for refugee children in the community and unaccompanied minors at safe zones. From April 2017–April 2018, 57,615 vaccinations were performed against measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) (21,031), diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (7,341), poliomyelitis (7,652), pneumococcal disease (5,938), Haemophilus influenzae type b (7,179) and hepatitis B (8,474). In April 2018, the vaccination status of children at camps (reception and identification centres and community facilities such as hostels/hotels were excluded) was recorded and VC for each disease, stratified by dose, nationality and camp size, was calculated. More than 80% of the children received the first MMR dose, with VC dropping to 45% for the second dose. For all other vaccines, VC was…

ProMED Mail

Tuberculosis, Whooping Cough, Yellow Fever, Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, Antimicrobial resistance, Influenza, Chagas, Hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, Other Human Disease, Rabies -- Worldwide/UnknownPertussis in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations: epidemiology and challengesUsa Thisyakorn, Terapong Tantawichien, Chule Thisyakorn, Philippe BuchyInternational Journal of Infectious Diseases, Volume 86, September 2019, pp. 75-83Anti-PcrV titers in non-cystic fibrosis patients with _Pseudomonas aeruginosa_ respiratory tract infectionKentaro Nagaoka, Yu Yamashita, Hirokazu Kimura, Hiroki Kimura, Masaru Suzuki, Tatsuya Fukumoto, Kasumi Hayasaka, Mari Yoshida, Takafumi Hara,…

ProMED Mail

Hepatitis A -- United StatesNumber of Cases 2347Demographics Age Range 3-86 Median Age 37 Male 1379 (58.8%) Hospitalizations 1172 (49.9%) Deaths 12 Risk Factors Co-infection with hepatitis C (Information available for 1784 cases) 1017 (56.6%) Co-infection with hepatitis B (Information available for 1784 cases) 185 (10.3%) Reports Illicit Drug Use (Information available for 1971 cases) 1423 (71.5%) --Communicated by:ProMED-mail[Date / Cases / New cases per week23 May 2018 / 106 /…

ProMED Mail

Hepatitis A -- United StatesAge Range 1-87Median Age 37Male 1433 (58.4%)Hospitalizations 1221 (49.7%)Deaths 21Risk Factors----------Co-infection with Hepatitis C (Information available for 1852 cases) 1048 (56.1%)Co-infection with Hepatitis B (Information available for 1852 cases) 191 (10.2%)Reports Illicit Drug Use (Information available for 2071 cases) 1462 (70.1%)Homeless 234 (9.5%)--Communicated by:ProMED-mail[Date / Cases / New cases per week23 May 2018 / 106 / -29 Jun 2018 /…

ProMED Mail

Hepatitis A -- United StatesAge range: 1-87Median age: 37Male: 1433 (58%)Hospitalizations: 1222 (49.9%)Deaths: 21Risk factors----------Co-infection with hepatitis C (information available for 1878 cases): 1051 (56%)Co-infection with hepatitis B (information available for 1878 cases): 192 (10.2%)Reports illicit drug use (information available for 2101 cases): 1471 (70%)Homeless: 234 (9.5%)--Communicated by:ProMED-mail[Date / Cases / New cases per week23 May 2018 / 106 / -29 Jun 2018…

During 2005-2017, regional hepatitis B vaccine birth dose (HepB-BD) and third dose (HepB3) coverage increased from 63% to 85% and from 76% to 93%, respectively. In 2017, 15 (42%) and 18 (50%) of 36 Western Pacific Region countries/areas achieved ≥95% HepB-BD and HepB3 coverage, respectively. Chronic hepatitis infection in children declined to…

Nick Bundle, Sooria Balasegaram, Sarah Parry, Sadna Ullah, Ross J Harris, Karim Ahmad, Graham R Foster, Cheuk YW Tong and Chloe Orkin

Background Progress towards HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) elimination requires local prevalence estimates and linkage to care (LTC) of undiagnosed or disengaged cases. Aim We aimed to estimate seroprevalence, factors associated with positive blood-borne virus (BBV) serology and numbers needed to screen (NNS) to detect a new BBV diagnosis and achieve full LTC from emergency department (ED) BBV testing. Methods During a 9-month programme in an ED in east London, England, testing was offered to adult attendees having a full blood count (FBC). We estimated factors associated with positive BBV serology using logistic regression and NNS as the inverse of seroprevalence. Estimates were weighted to the age, sex and ethnicity of the FBC population. Results Of 6,211 FBC patients tested, 217 (3.5%) were positive for at least one BBV. Weighted BBV seroprevalence was 4.2% (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.6–4.9). Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) of positive BBV serology were elevated among patients that were: male (aOR: 2.7; 95% CI: 1.9–3.9), 40–59 years old (aOR: 1.9; 95% CI: 1.4–2.7), of Black British/Black other ethnicity (aOR: 1.8; 95% CI: 1.2–2.8) or had no fixed address (aOR: 2.9; 95% CI: 1.5–5.5). NNS to detect a new BBV diagnosis was 154 (95% CI: 103–233) and 135 (95% CI: 93–200) to achieve LTC. Conclusions The low NNS suggests routine BBV screening in EDs may be worthwhile. Those considering similar programmes should use our findings to inform their assessments of anticipated public health benefits.…