Hepatitis C testing resumes in Meigs

POMEROY — The Meigs County Health Department has resumed Hepatitis C testing.

The Meigs County Health Department has historically tested residents for Hepatitis C through a program funded by the Ohio Department of Health. However, ODH’s testing program ended last October due to lack of funding. As a result, the health department had to temporarily stop providing tests.

Having performed 24 tests in 2013 and 11 tests in 2014 before the program ceased, health department staff knew that they had to do what they could to continue providing tests. An overall view of 2014 data showed that Meigs County had 46 confirmed and 17 suspected cases of Hepatitis C.

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Risk of Hepatitis D Higher Among HIV Infected and Injection Drug Users

Preventative Measures Needed to Contain Potential HDV Epidemic In High-Risk Groups 

Researchers from Taiwan determined that individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or those who inject illicit drugs have a higher risk of becoming infected with the hepatitis D virus (HDV) in that country. The study, published in Hepatology, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, suggests that effective strategies are need to contain a potential HDV epidemic in these high-risk populations.

Hepatitis is a disease that causes liver inflammation. HDV is one of the five main viral strains (A, B, C, D, E) and occurs only in those infected with hepatitis B (HBV). While the HBV vaccine offers some protection, studies report that patients dually infected with HBV and HDV have more severe liver disease, with rapid progression to cirrhosis. Further evidence shows HBV/HDV patients have a poor response rate to treatment with interferon and antivirals (nucleoside or nucleotide analogues) that inhibit the replication of the virus.

“Nearly 20 million people worldwide have HDV, with prevalence varying between geographic regions,” note Dr. Lin of E-Da Hospital/I-Shou University and Prof. Jaw-Ching Wu with Taipei Veterans General Hospital and the National Yang-Ming University in Taiwan and lead authors of the present study examining the prevalence of HDV in the era of HBV vaccination. “HBV is endemic in Taiwan, but with HBV vaccination and sustained health education to general public to interrupt HDV transmission routes we have witnessed a decrease in acute HDV superinfection from 24% of chronic hepatitis B with acute exacerbation in 1983 to 4% in 1995.”

After an outbreak of HIV and hepatitis C (HCV) among injection drug users, novel strains of HCV were discovered in Taiwan. Given the high-risk populations (HIV and Injection drug users) involved, researchers speculated that the outbreak may have affected HDV prevalence. The team enrolled 2,562 hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive patients in this prospective, multicenter, cohort study between 2001 and 2012. The prevalence, genotype and risk factors associated with HDV infection were examined.

Results of the study show that HDV prevalence rates were 75%, 44%, 11%, 11%, and 4% among HIV-infected injection drug users, injection drug users without HIV, gay men infected with HIV, heterosexual men with HIV infection, and the general population of HBsAg-positive individuals, respectively. Researchers found a significant increase in the trend of HDV prevalence from 39% to 90% in HIV-infected injection drug users. Risk factors linked to HDV infections were: injection drug use, hepatitis C virus infection, HIV infection, HBsAg blood levels at 250 IU/mL or higher, duration of drug use, and older age.

Further analysis determined that the most prevalent genotype among injection drug users was HDV genotype IV at 72%, while genotype II was more dominant among non-injection drug users at 73%. Among individuals in the HIV group who were also HBsAg-negative, and born after 1987 when universal HBV vaccination had been implemented in Taiwan, nearly 53% had anti-HBs Ab levels less than10 mIU/mL. The team also observed significantly higher HBsAg seroprevalence in the HIV group born after 1987 compared to the control at 8% vs 0%.

“Our findings indicate that injection drug users, especially those infected with HIV, are the highest risk group for HDV infection in Taiwan, despite a 30-year hepatitis B vaccination program,” concludes Prof. Wu. New strategies, such as methadone maintenance therapy and clean syringe exchange, to inhibit injection drug use are needed to control the spread of HDV.” In addition, the authors suggest HBV vaccination booster may be considered for high risk groups.

Research was funded by grants from Taipei Veterans General Hospital (V101C-087, V102C-127, and V103C-026), the National Yang-Ming University, Ministry of Education (103AC-T402, Aim for the Top University Plan) and E-Da Hospital (EDAHP97001, EDAHP98001, and EDAHI102002).

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Access the full study on the Wiley Press Room here. (To access PDFs and embargoed stories you must be logged in to the Press Room before clicking the link. Request a login here.) Full citation: “Changing Hepatitis D Virus Epidemiology in a Hepatitis B Virus Endemic Area with a National Vaccination Program?” Hsi-Hsun Lin, Susan Shin-Jung Lee, Ming-Lung Y Ting-Tsung Chang, Chien-Wei Su, Bor-Shen H, Yaw-Sen Chen, Chun-Kai Huang, Chung-Hsu Lai, Jiun-Nong Lin and Jaw-Ching Wu; Hepatology; (DOI: 10.1002/hep.27742).

URL: http://doi.wiley.com/10.1002/hep.27742
Author Contact: Media wishing to speak with Prof. Wu may contact Ms Hsin Ni Lin at queen@ym.edu.tw.

About the Journal
Hepatology is the premier publication in the field of liver disease, publishing original, peer-reviewed articles concerning all aspects of liver structure, function and disease. Each month, the distinguished Editorial Board monitors and selects only the best articles on subjects such as immunology, chronic hepatitis, viral hepatitis, cirrhosis, genetic and metabolic liver diseases and their complications, liver cancer, and drug metabolism. Hepatology is published on is published by Wiley on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). For more information, please visit http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/hep.

About Wiley
Wiley is a global provider of knowledge and knowledge-enabled services that improve outcomes in areas of research, professional practice and education. Through the Research segment, the Company provides digital and print scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly journals, reference works, books, database services, and advertising. The Professional Development segment provides digital and print books, online assessment and training services, and test prep and certification. In Education, Wiley provides education solutions including online program management services for higher education institutions and course management tools for instructors and students, as well as print and digital content.

Egypt: New hep C treatment to hit Egyptian market in May

CAIRO: A new drug for treating hepatitis C will be available on the Egyptian market early next month, Health Minister Adel al-Adawy announced Monday.

A 30,000-dose shipment of Olisio, the new treatment, has arrived in Egypt, and is currently undergoing tests before release on the market, the head of National Committee for the Control of Viral Hepatitis Waheed Doss told Youm 7.

Doss added that once Olisio is approved, the treatment protocol will be changed and the new drug will be used simultaneously with the currently-used American-made Sovaldi.

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Canada: MP Health Critic Murray Rankin Gets Tested for Hepatitis C

Today in Victoria, BC, Official Opposition Health Critic MP @Murray Rankin showed his support for Baby Boomer testing of hepatitis C by “rolling up his sleeve” for the simple blood test. HepCBC was there to record this special occasion. We applaud this kind of “hands-on” action which shows leadership on the important health issue of un-diagnosed hepatitis C.

Just before he took the test, Mr. Rankin said, “I think it’s important that hepatitis C testing be done without any stigma…I’m here to say as a Member of Parliament it is something that everybody should do. It is something that is a wonderful health initiative and I’m pleased to be doing it as well.”

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Why Congress should rethink syringe issue

(CNN)If someone told you that your city had started a program providing clean needles to injecting drug users, would that make you want to start injecting drugs yourself? The answer, of course, would be no. Yet for decades, many have stood by the belief that such programs, known as syringe exchange or syringe services programs, promote and encourage drug use. Indeed, for Congress, it became the rationale behind a ban implemented in 1988 that prohibits the use of federal funds for these programs.

But an overwhelming body of scientific evidence continues to show that this is simply not true.

As a result of the recent spikes in HIV and hepatitis C infections among injecting drug users in rural Indiana and Kentucky, the controversial topic of syringe exchange programs has come to the fore again. And this time, scientific evidence and sound public health practices prevailed as both states authorized the implementation of syringe exchange programs to help curb the spread of these two blood-borne diseases that can be spread by contaminated syringes.

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From the community: McAuliffe Looks to Keep Hepatitis C Taskforce Working: Veteran Lawmaker Sees More Work Ahead for Productive Group

Springfield, IL … State Representative Michael McAuliffe (R-Chicago) is looking to keep the important work of the Illinois Hepatitis C Task Force rolling by extending the groups charter as set by the Illinois General Assembly as established in May of 2013.

"Many times, task forces here in Springfield just don't take off or gain any traction," said McAuliffe. "In this case, the interest and productivity of this group has exceeded all expectations. We met consistently and produced a number of solid legislative recommendations which is why I feel it's important to keep it going."

The group, which first met in February of 2014, has met consistently on a bi-monthly basis and has produced a multitude legislative initiatives aimed at curbing the growing issue of Hepatitis C in our veteran and senior communities. The group has also hosted Hepatitis C Day at the State Capitol which provides informational displays and brings leading medical experts and free screenings to our State's capitol.

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An Overview of HCV Transmission and Prevention

This fact sheet will include transmission routes and how to prevent
the transmission of hepatitis C.

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