Hepatitis B rates on the decline in the United States

<p>Hepatitis B has declined in the last decade in the United States, reflecting the effects of routine childhood vaccination against the liver-attacking virus, federal officials said Wednesday.</p><p>Overall, cases of the virus have dropped 67 percent between 1990 to 2002, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. The greatest decrease _ 89 percent _ was among the newborn to 19 year old age group.</p><p>But the CDC said cases still are rising among adults. Since 1999, hepatitis B cases have risen by 5 percent among males aged 20 to 39 years old and by 20 percent and 31 percent, respectively, for men and women 40 or older.</p><p>There have been overall declines _ that is good, said Dr. Beth Bell, chief of the epidemiology branch in the CDCs division of viral hepatitis. But the recent rise among adults is concerning and highlights the need to improve our ability to vaccinate adults at high risk.</p><p>Adults infected with the bloodborne or sexually transmitted virus commonly have risk factors such as multiple sex partners, are men who have sex with men or are injection drug users, the CDC said, noting that such high risk groups could be vaccinated against the virus during health care visits.</p><p>Hepatitis B is part of a class of viruses _ listed in type from hepatitis A to hepatitis E _ that cause liver inflammation. But the viruses are completely different. Of the viruses, hepatitis B and C can cause both acute and chronic infection, which can lead to chronic liver disease, liver scarring and liver cancer.</p><p>Hepatitis A and E cause acute infection and most people get better after a period of weeks, although in rare cases liver failure can develop, Bell said.</p><p>___</p><p>On the Net:</p><p>CDC hepatitis info: www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/index.htm</p>