It is estimated that 1 in 12 people worldwide has hepatitis B and/or C and most are unaware of their status.  To help combat these epidemics, the World Health Organization has recognized July 28th as World Hepatitis Day.  On this day, events take place across the globe to raise awareness of hepatitis and help support people affected these often silent diseases.

To celebrate World Hepatitis Day 2012, the World Hepatitis Alliance is attempting to set the Guinness World Record for having the most people performing the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” hand gestures in a 24-hour period.  These actions relate to the proverb in which “three wise monkeys” cover their eyes, ears and mouth. This theme has been chosen to highlight that, around the world, hepatitis is a silent, invisible disease that is being ignored.

Hepatitis won’t disappear if we pretend it’s not there.

--

Join HEP to help raise awareness for hepatitis on World Hepatitis Day. We will be handing out information and speaking with members of the public about hepatitis at Hing Hay Park in the International District in Seattle on Saturday, July 28, from 10am - 1:30pm. 

At 12pm sharp, we need participants to help us be part of the Guinness World Record attempt for the most people performing the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” hand gestures.  We will be joining thousands of people in multiple venues around the world.  We hope you can join us!

Please contact us if you're interested in volunteering.

This spring the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) selected the Hepatitis Education Project (HEP) and our partner, the Hepatitis B Coalition of Washington (HBCW) to initiate a community-based project that will provide free hepatitis B screening, vaccination and referral to care for foreign-born persons living in Seattle-King County, Washington.

Worldwide, hepatitis B infection is one of the leading causes of infectious disease-related morbidity and mortality. One third of the world’s population has serologic evidence of past or present hepatitis B infection, and 350 million people are chronically infected. While hepatitis B incidence has decreased dramatically in the United States since institution of routine childhood vaccination programs, newly recognized and undiagnosed cases continue to occur.

The U.S. receives more than 400,000 immigrants and approximately 80,000 refugees each year, including many from high or intermediate hepatitis B endemic countries who may be chronically infected with hepatitis B upon entering the U.S. For example, in 2008, it was estimated that 51,000 hepatitis B cases (almost 10 times the reported number of domestically acquired cases) among immigrants and refugees were contracted outside of the country. This has resulted in significant health disparities among foreign-born U.S. residents and citizens, particularly among those born in Asian or African countries.  Persons chronically infected with hepatitis B are at higher risk for development of cirrhosis and liver cancer and can transmit this infection to household contacts.

King County is estimated to have a hepatitis B prevalence rate of 1.22%. Approximately 89% (21,093) of the estimated population with hepatitis B are foreign born, including about 15,820 and 2,742 persons born in Asian or African countries, respectively.

CDC guidelines recommend hepatitis B screening for all persons born in countries of intermediate or high endemicity. However, limited data suggest that these recommendations are not widely implemented, resulting in a small proportion of foreign-born persons being screened. Language, cultural, and other socio-economic issues are barriers to foreign-born populations receiving recommended hepatitis B prevention services. To achieve the CDC goal of eliminating hepatitis B transmission and reducing the burden of hepatitis B disease with the U.S., community-based organizations (CBOs) and related local agencies have a key role in accessing foreign-born populations and diminishing health disparities in these communities.

This is a year-long pilot project that will reach out to the East Asian and African communities throughout King County, in an effort to increase awareness of hepatitis B and to increase access to screening, prevention and medical care. HEP and HBCW will partner with a number of organizations and agencies that work directly with the communities being reached – including Public Health - Seattle & King County, Neighborcare Health, International Community Health Services, Asian Counseling and Referral Services, the Center for Multicultural Health, the Chinese Information and Services Center, the Ethiopian Community Mutual Association, and the Washington State Department of Health.

The issue of whether the hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects brain function continues to arouse interest, investigation, and debate. Symptoms such as fatigue, poor memory, and concentration ("brain fog") are commonplace and an effect of this infection on mental health related quality of life, which is independent of liver fibrosis, is well established. 

A small pilot study by Dr. Valerie Byrnes and colleagues at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital in Boston provides a substantial link between HCV and cerebral dysfunction by demonstrating a reduction in spectroscopic markers of cerebral inflammation and an improvement in cognition, following HCV eradication. While further larger-scale studies are required to confirm these findings, the cerebral benefit of HCV clearance should be recognized and considered an integral part of any anti-viral therapy dialog.  SVRs (people whose hepatitis C was cured) demonstrated significant improvements in verbal learning, memory, and visuo-spatial memory. This appears to be the first demonstration of improved cerebral inflammation and healthier neurocognitive function in SVRs and is directly attributable to the successful eradication of the virus. It should be noted that the small sample size in this study limits the conclusions that can be drawn at this time.  However, the study is important because it is the first to demonstrate that successful clearance of HCV infection can result in changes in cerebral metabolism that may underlie improvements in neurocognitive performance.  (Excerpted from an editorial by Daniel M. Forton in the Journal of Hepatology, 2011)

This is an incredibly exciting time in drug development for hepatitis C. With the approval of telaprevir and boceprevir last year, we have seen cure rates for hepatitis C almost double to about 75% for most genotype 1 patients. Over the course of the next several years, beginning as early as late 2013, we will see numerous new drugs approved that will inch us closer to cure rates approaching 100%.  Interferon-free regimens may be as close as two to three years away.

In an effort to keep you apprised of the latest hepatitis C drugs in development, you can click here to view "Hepatitis C Treatments in Current Clinical Development" from Alan Franciscus at the HCV Advocate. Alan is a long-time advocate and runs one of the best resources for hepatitis to be found in any medium, the aforementioned hcvadvocate.org.