A Proclamation on National Hepatitis Testing Day, 2024
The White House – “Millions of Americans have viral hepatitis, an infection of the liver that can be cured or managed with the right treatment, but every year, it takes the lives of thousands of Americans who for too long did not realize that they were sick. Testing saves lives. On National Hepatitis Testing Day, we encourage folks everywhere to help spread the word and get tested, and we commit to continuing our work to get every American the high-quality health care they need to live long, healthy lives.”
The Application of Australian Rights Protections to the Use of Hepatitis C Notification Data to Engage People ‘Lost to Follow Up’
“Hepatitis C is a global public health threat, affecting 56 million people worldwide. The World Health Organization has committed to eliminating hepatitis C by 2030. Although new treatments have revolutionised the treatment and care of people with hepatitis C, treatment uptake has slowed in recent years, drawing attention to the need for innovative approaches to reach elimination targets. One approach involves using existing notifiable disease data to contact people previously diagnosed with hepatitis C. Within these disease surveillance systems, however, competing tensions exist, including protecting individual rights to privacy and autonomy, and broader public health goals.”
The best way to celebrate Hepatitis Awareness Month is to protect yourself
“Most people know HIV, chlamydia, syphilis, and gonorrhea are sexually transmitted infections, but did you know hepatitis B and hepatitis C viruses can also be transmitted through sex? During Hepatitis Awareness Month in May, the Philadelphia Department of Public Health is urging everyone to get the facts about hepatitis B and hepatitis C.”
Hepatitis Awareness Month: Exploring the Latest Breakthroughs in Hepatitis
“Hepatitis awareness remains essential to promote prevention and early detection, ensuring access to vaccination and treatment, and improving public health.”
Hepatitis C Infection Poses Global Public Health Threat to Reproductive-Age Women
“HealthDay News — Both acute hepatitis C (AHC) and hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related cirrhosis incidence were up substantially globally from 1990 to 2019 in reproductive-aged women, according to a study published online April 19 in the Journal of Global Health.”
Study Suggests Need for More HCV Treatment Delivery in Primary Care Settings
“Primary care providers (PCP) are encouraged to provide hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment to infected patients to improve service delivery and alleviate the burden placed on specialists, but findings from a recent study suggest treatment has been on the decline in recent years among both PCPs and specialists.”
Lysyl oxidase-like 2 (LOXL2) Emerges as a Predictor of Liver Cancer Risk in HCV Patients After Successful Treatment
“LOXL2 connects collagen fibers outside of cells and reflects changes in liver fibrosis. Serum LOXL2 levels were found to anticipate the onset of HCC following SVR in HCV-infected patients. Combining LOXL2 levels with alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels improves the accuracy of assessing the risk of HCC development after SVR. This implies that monitoring LOXL2 and AFP levels could aid in identifying patients at a higher risk of liver cancer, facilitating an enhanced surveillance strategy for early detection.”
Identification of two novel subtypes of hepatitis C virus genotype 8 and a potential new genotype successfully treated with direct acting antivirals
“Hepatitis C virus (HCV) has a high genetic diversity and is classified into 8 genotypes and over 90 subtypes with some endemic to specific world regions. This could compromise direct-acting antiviral (DAA) efficacy and global HCV elimination.”
Thousands in New Mexico could benefit from free Hepatitis C testing
“State health officials are encouraging all New Mexico adults to get free diagnostic testing for Hepatitis C in order to prevent it from spreading.”
HCV Tops HBV as Leading Cause of Cirrhosis, Global Burden Projected to Increase
“Despite a global downward trend in the age-standardized rate of liver cirrhosis from 1990 – 2019, a recent study found the number of cases continued to rise during this time period, with hepatitis C virus (HCV) replacing hepatitis B virus (HBV) as the leading cause of cirrhosis worldwide.”
