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CLINICAL FEATURES |
- Jaundice
- fatigue
- abdominal pain
- loss of appetite
- intermittent nausea
- vomiting
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ETIOLOGIC AGENT |
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INCIDENCE |
- 28,000-180,000 total infections/yr in United States
- 25-30% of infections are symptomatic
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SEQUELAE |
- Chronic infection >=85% of infected persons
- Chronic liver disease: 70% of infected persons
- Deaths from chronic liver disease: 8,000-10,000/yr
- Leading indication for liver transplantation
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PREVALENCE |
- Estimated 3.9 million chronically infected Americans
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COSTS |
- Estimated $600 million (1991 dollars)/yr
(medical and work loss, excluding transplantation)
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TRANSMISSION |
- Primarily bloodborne; also sexual and perinatal
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RISK GROUPS |
- Injecting drug users
- Hemodialysis patients
- Health care workers
- Sexual contacts of infected persons
- Persons with multiple sex partners
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- Recipient of transfusions before July 1992
- Recipient of clotting factors before 1987
- Infants born to infected women
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TRENDS |
- Incidence stable in 1980's; decline in 1990's
- Transfusion-associated cases occurred prior to donor screening, now very rare
- Most new infections due to high risk drug (60%) or sexual (20%) behaviors
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SCREENING |
- Recipients of transfusions or solid organs prior to July 1992
- Recipients of clotting factor concentrates prior to 1987
- Chronic hemodialysis patients
- Persons who ever injected illegal drugs, even if a few times many years ago
- Persons with a history of sexually transmitted diseases
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PREVENTION |
- Screening of blood/organ/tissue donors
- Counseling to reduce/modify high-risk behavior
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TREATMENT |
- Interferon alpha, 3 million units subcutaneously 3x per week for 12 months
- 15-25% of patients have sustained response 1 year after therapy
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
- Hepatitis Foundation International
(800) 891-0707
- CDC, Hepatitis Branch
(888) 443-7232 (4HEPCDC)
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- American Liver Foundation
(800) 223-0179 (GOLIVER)
(888) 443-7222 (4HEPABC)
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