World Hepatitis Day 2024 It’s time for action
“World Hepatitis Day, observed on 28 July, raises awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes severe liver disease and cancer. This year’s theme is: It’s time for action. With a person dying every 30 seconds from a hepatitis-related illness, we must accelerate action on better prevention, diagnosis, and treatment to save lives and improve health outcomes.”
Infectious Diseases Division to Open ID/Substance Use Disorder Training Pathway
“The Washington University Infectious Diseases Division (ID) to open Infectious Disease/Substance Use Disorder training pathway to address substance use crisis in the region. The opioid epidemic and subsequent rise in injection drug use (IDU) has led to a well-described overlap of epidemics, or syndemic, of substance use disorders (SUDs) and infectious diseases including serious injection-related bacterial/fungal infections (SIRI), HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). The St. Louis region has been particularly affected, with the highest overdose rate and HIV transmission rate in the state. Over the past five years, the Division of Infectious Diseases at Washington University has been a leader in providing wholistic care to people who inject drugs. They now hope to train a new generation of doctors to care on the work.”
He was homeless, addicted and unemployed. Then his neighbors stepped up to help
“Only a couple of years ago, Brad Burke was an unhoused, unemployed meth user who was sleeping in and around a community garden in Portola. A former fitness instructor, he had made several attempts to get sober, but none succeeded, even after he faced a few brushes with death.”
Challenges Reported by Providers to Implement Hepatitis C Elimination Efforts in Washington State
“Despite the availability of curative treatments since 2014, only 12% of individuals diagnosed with Hepatitis C (HCV) in Washington State received treatment in 2018. In response to this concerning statistic, Washington State agencies initiated an elimination plan in 2019 aimed at enhancing access to HCV screening and treatment. This study seeks to evaluate the barriers providers and health systems face in effectively implementing HCV screening and treatment initiatives across the state.”
WHO issues “rapid communication” on treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis and hepatitis C
“A new WHO “rapid communication” on treatment strategies for patients co-infected with hepatitis C (HCV) and multi-drug or rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis (MDR/RR-TB) notes that patients with confirmed MDR/RR-TB and HCV could benefit from co-administration of relevant therapies under programmatic conditions. The communication notes that patients with MDR/RR-TB can undergo treatment with either shorter or longer all-oral regimens concurrently with HCV treatment.”
Hepatitis C Incidence Among People With HIV Fell After Advent of Antivirals
“Among people living with HIV, overall hepatitis C incidence fell dramatically as interferon-free antiviral therapy became readily available, but a higher proportion of those who acquired hepatitis C virus (HCV) were infected more than once, according to study findings published in The Lancet HIV.”
