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April 16, 2008
WORLD HEPATITIS DAY IS MAY 19

Help promote the first ever global World Hepatitis Day on May 19! Representatives from around the world have been planning this campaign for a year under the umbrella of a new group, the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA). This day will be a historic event, dedicated to raising awareness of and changing perceptions about the more than 500 million people living with HBV and HCV.

Although the campaign details are not being given to the media until May 19, the organizers are inviting hepatitis organizations to start promoting the campaign and its theme: "Am I Number 12?" This concept was designed not only to communicate the incredible statistic that one in 12 people worldwide has HBV or HCV—which is far higher than the prevalence of HIV or any cancer--but also to encourage people to question themselves and get tested. This inclusive theme is intended to combat the stigma often associated with hepatitis B and C by highlighting the extent of hepatitis viral infection across the world in a memorable way.

Teaser materials with the campaign logo have been developed for distribution by hepatitis groups. To view the teaser materials, visit the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable website at http://www.nvhr.org/NVHR_World_Hepatitis_Day.htm Please feel free to share this artwork. The high-resolution versions of these materials have been uploaded onto the global campaign FTP site at http://portal.fleishman.com If using the website banner ads, we encourage you to add a hyperlink that links to the global campaign website at http://www.aminumber12.org

If your organization would like to be included on the World Hepatitis Day website, please send your organization logos and website URLs to worldhepday@fleishman.com

An inexpensive, but effective way to show that groups all over the world are involved in raising awareness of chronic viral hepatitis will be to show images of the teasers in recognizable global locations. Global organizers will collate these images into a variety of formats and distribute them to planners throughout the world. If possible, photograph examples of these teaser activities and forward them to the global team as soon as you can. Images should include some global cultural reference (e.g. someone wearing an "Am I Number 12?" tee shirt or carrying "Am I Number 12?" balloons in front of a well-known landmark). Please send your digital images to worldhepday@fleishman.com

Chris Taylor, viral hepatitis program manager, National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors, serves as the WHA North American representative. You can email Chris with questions at ctaylor@NASTAD.org
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April 16, 2008
CDC CORRECTS AN ANSWER IN NEEDLE TIPS (MARCH 2008) ABOUT REMEDYING A HEPATITIS A VACCINE DOSING ERROR

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC Express" electronic newsletter, 4/14/08.]

The March 2008 issue of the IAC periodical Needle Tips includes an Ask the Experts Q&A concerning a dosing error in which an adult patient was mistakenly given a pediatric dose of hepatitis A vaccine. The Q&A appears at the bottom of the third column on page 22 of Needle Tips.

IAC has received some questions asking for clarification of the answer. Here is the corrected Q&A:

Q: One of our staff gave a dose of pediatric hepatitis A vaccine to an adult patient by mistake. How do we remedy this error?

A: If less than a full age-appropriate dose of any vaccine is given, the dose should not be counted. The person should be revaccinated with the appropriate dose as soon as possible.

IAC regrets the confusion the initial Q&A may have caused Needle Tips readers.
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April 16, 2008
CDC RELEASES 2006 U.S. SURVEILLANCE DATA FOR ACUTE VIRAL HEPATITIS

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC Express" electronic newsletter, 3/24/08.]

On March 21, CDC published "Surveillance for Acute Viral Hepatitis--United States, 2006" as one of its Surveillance Summaries. A portion of the abstract is reprinted below.

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Reporting Period Covered: Cases in 2006, the most recent year for which data are available, are compared with those from previous years.

Description of System: Cases of acute viral hepatitis are reported voluntarily to CDC by state and territorial epidemiologists via CDC's National Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (NNDSS). Reports are received electronically via CDC's National Electronic Telecommunications System for Surveillance (NETSS).

Results: During 1995-2006, hepatitis A incidence declined 90% to the lowest rate ever recorded (1.2 cases per 100,000 population). Declines were greatest among children and in those states where routine vaccination of children was recommended beginning in 1999. An increasing proportion of cases occurred in adults. During 1990-2006, acute hepatitis B incidence declined 81% to the lowest rate ever recorded (1.6 cases per 100,000 population). Declines occurred among all age groups but were greatest among children aged <15 years. Following a peak in the late 1980s, incidence of acute hepatitis C declined through the 1990s; however, since 2003, rates have plateaued, with a slight increase in reported cases in 2006. In 2006, as in previous years, the majority of these cases occurred among adults, and injection-drug use was the most common risk factor.

Interpretation: The results documented in this report suggest that implementation of the 1999 recommendations for routine childhood hepatitis A vaccination in the United States has reduced rates of infection and that universal vaccination of children against hepatitis B has reduced disease incidence substantially among younger age groups. Higher rates of hepatitis B continue among adults, particularly males aged 25-44 years, reflecting the need to vaccinate adults at risk for HBV infection. The decline in hepatitis C incidence that occurred in the 1990s was attributable primarily to a decrease in incidence among injection-drug users. The reasons for this decrease were unknown but likely reflected changes in behavior and practices among injection-drug users.

Public Health Actions: The expansion in 2006 of recommendations for routine hepatitis A vaccination to include all children in the United States aged 12-23 months is expected to reduce hepatitis A rates further. Ongoing hepatitis B vaccination programs ultimately will eliminate domestic HBV transmission, and increased vaccination of adults with risk factors will accelerate progress toward elimination. Prevention of hepatitis C relies on identifying and counseling uninfected persons at risk for hepatitis C (e.g., injection-drug users) regarding ways to protect themselves from infection and on identifying and preventing transmission of HCV in healthcare settings.

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To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the surveillance summary, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/ss/ss5702.pdf

To access a web-text (HTML) version of the surveillance summary, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss5702a1.htm
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April 16, 2008
MARCH 2008 ISSUES OF NEEDLE TIPS AND VACCINATE ADULTS ARE ONLINE

IAC recently mailed the March 2008 issues of Needle Tips and Vaccinate Adults to health professionals and others who work in the field of immunization. Both are packed with immunization and hepatitis resources for health professionals, patients, and parents, all of which can be downloaded from the Web. All articles and education pieces, except editorials, have been reviewed by immunization and hepatitis experts at CDC.

HOW TO ACCESS NEEDLE TIPS ON THE WEB
You can view selected articles from the table of contents below or download the entire issue from the Web.

To view the table of contents with links to individual articles, go to: http://www.immunize.org/nt

The PDF file of the entire issue, linked below, is large. For tips on downloading and printing PDF files, go to: http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/tips.htm

To download a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the entire March issue of Needle Tips, go to: http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/n38/n38.pdf

HOW TO ACCESS VACCINATE ADULTS ON THE WEB
You can view selected articles from the table of contents below or download the entire issue from the Web.

To view the table of contents with links to individual articles, go to: http://www.immunize.org/va

The PDF file of the entire issue, linked below, is large. For tips on downloading and printing PDF files, go to: http://www.immunize.org/nslt.d/tips.htm

To download a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the entire March issue of Vaccinate Adults, go to: http://www.immunize.org/va/va21.pdf
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April 16, 2008
NEW: POPULAR CHILD/TEEN VACCINATION RESOURCES NOW IN SPANISH, ARABIC, CHINESE, FRENCH, KOREAN, RUSSIAN, AND VIETNAMESE

[The following is cross posted from the Immunization Action Coalition's "IAC Express" electronic newsletter, 4/7/08.]

IAC now offers two of its popular child/teen vaccination resources in languages in addition to English. The resources are "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents" and "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" Both are now available in Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, French, Korean, Russian, and Vietnamese. Links to all follow.

"IMMUNIZATIONS FOR BABIES: A GUIDE FOR PARENTS"
For Spanish version of "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010-01.pdf

For Arabic version of "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010-20.pdf

For Chinese version of "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010-08.pdf

For French version of "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010-10.pdf

For Korean version of "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010-09.pdf

For Russian version of "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010-07.pdf

For Vietnamese version of "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010-05.pdf

For English version of "Immunizations for Babies: A guide for parents," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4010.pdf


"WHEN DO CHILDREN AND TEENS NEED VACCINATIONS?
For Spanish version of "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-01.pdf

For Arabic version of "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-20.pdf

For Chinese version of "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-08.pdf

For French version of "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-10.pdf

For Korean version of "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-09.pdf

For Russian version of "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-07.pdf

For Vietnamese version of "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050-05.pdf

For English version of "When Do Children and Teens Need Vaccinations?" go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4050.pdf

For a continually updated listing (in date order) of IAC's new and revised website materials, go to: http://www.immunize.org/new Click on "html" or "pdf" to view the pertinent resource.
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April 16, 2008
IAC UPDATES FIVE PIECES RELATED TO HEPATITIS B OR GENERAL IMMUNIZATION

IAC recently revised two educational resources on the hepatitis B vaccine birth dose. Minor changes were made to "Hepatitis B Shots Are Recommended for All New Babies," which is intended for parents. "Guidelines for Standing Orders in Labor & Delivery and Nursery Units to Prevent Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Transmission to Newborns" is intended for healthcare professionals. Changes were made in the section titled "For infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers."

To access the revised "Hepatitis B Shots Are Recommended for All New Babies," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4110.pdf

To access the revised "Guidelines for Standing Orders in Labor & Delivery and Nursery Units to Prevent Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Transmission to Newborns," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2130.pdf

IAC also made minor revisions to the parent-education resource, "All Kids Need Hepatitis B Shots!"

To access the revised "All Kids Need Hepatitis B Shots!" go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4055.pdf

Sarah Jane Schwarzenberg, MD, and Karen Y. Wainwright, RN, recently made minor changes to their patient-education piece "You are not alone! Information for young adults who are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus."

To access the revised "You are not alone! Information for young adults who are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p4118.pdf

IAC made substantial revisions to the professional-education resource, "Vaccine Administration Record for Children and Teens."

To access the revised "Vaccine Administration Record for Children and Teens," go to: http://www.immunize.org/catg.d/p2022.pdf

For a continually updated listing (in date order) of IAC's new and revised web materials, go to: http://www.immunize.org/new Click on "html" or "pdf" to view the pertinent resource.
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April 16, 2008
HEPAGAM B IMMUNE GLOBULIN RECEIVES ORPHAN DRUG APPROVAL FROM FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted orphan drug designation to HepaGam B (hepatitis B immune globulin intravenous [human]).

The FDA approved HepaGam B in 2006 to treat patients following acute exposure to the hepatitis B virus. HepaGam B was approved as a treatment for the prevention of hepatitis B recurrence following liver transplantation in April 2007.

HepaGam B is a product of Cangene, a company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
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April 16, 2008
ASIAN LIVER CENTER DEVELOPS BROCHURE ABOUT THE BUSINESS RESPONSE TO EMPLOYEES WITH HBV INFECTION

The Asian Liver Center (ALC) at Stanford University offers many services for Asian and Pacific Islander communities and individuals. Recently, ALC added a new brochure to its collection of resources. "The Business Response to Hepatitis B,"an action guide for managers, discusses HBV infection in the workplace in a matter of fact and supportive manner.

To access "The Business Response to Hepatitis B" online, go to: http://liver.stanford.edu/Media/publications/Business/English.pdf

To view all the available ALC brochures in multiple languages, go to: http://liver.stanford.edu/Public/brochures.html You can order brochures from ALC at http://liver.stanford.edu/Public/brochureorder.html

Visit ALC's website at http://liver.stanford.edu to find out more about this organization's many outreach activities.
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April 16, 2008
AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF NURSE ANESTHETISTS CONDEMNS UNSAFE INJECTION PRACTICES

In a response to recent incidents in Nevada and New York in which patients were infected with HCV allegedly through the reuse of needles and syringes, the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) called on healthcare professionals across the nation to exercise the utmost care and vigilance when performing or observing injections on patients.

To read the entire March 6 press release, click here.
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April 16, 2008
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF FREE CONTINUING EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES

Opportunities abound for healthcare professionals to learn more about viral hepatitis and gain continuing education credit--all without leaving their home or office.

(1) Projects in Knowledge offers activities designed for gastroenterologists, hepatologists, and other clinicians who care for patients with HBV infection or those at increased risk for acquiring the infection. Individuals completing these activities can earn free CME/CE credit. New online courses include the following.

"Expert Insight Into: Risk and Predictors of Mortality Associated With Chronic Hepatitis B Infection"

"Case Study: Managing Confounding Herbal Hepatotoxicity and Familial Hepatocellular Carcinoma Risk in an HBeAg-Negative Vietnamese Immigrant"

(2) Clinical Care Options (CCO) creates and publishes interactive medical education programs for healthcare professionals, supported by grants from industry. Viral hepatitis is one of the topics covered, and the CCO website includes news updates, conference coverage, commentaries on journal articles, webcasts, PowerPoint presentations, and opportunities for online continuing education credits related to the diagnosis and treatment of HBV and HCV infection.

To view the Clinical Care Options hepatitis index page, go to: http://clinicaloptions.com/hep

(3) Medscape Today also offers free continuing education credit for those participating in its online activities, including the following new courses (registration is required).

"Hepatitis B: Advances in Screening, Diagnosis, and Clinical Management"
http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/8810?src=mp

"Clinical Evaluation of the HBV-Infected Patient"
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/570497?src=mp
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April 16, 2008
LATINO ORGANIZATION FOR LIVER AWARENESS HEPATITIS C WALK WILL TAKE PLACE MAY 15; FREE HCV TESTING OFFERED TO NYC RESIDENTS

The Latino Organization for Liver Awareness (LOLA) is sponsoring its fourth annual New York City Hepatitis C Walk. This event will take place on May 15, 2008, with registration from 9:00–11:30 a.m. The walk will begin at 12:00 noon at Battery Park and end at City Hall Park. Admission is free. The goal of the walk is to encourage New York City residents to get a free HCV blood test, seek appropriate medical assistance if needed, and obtain support and treatment if necessary.

For more information, go to http://www.lola-national.org or call (718) 720-4370.

For a limited time, LOLA is offering free HCV testing to NYC residents. To schedule an appointment, call (718) 892-8697.
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April 16, 2008
HEPATITIS C NETWORK OF WINDSOR, ONTARIO, WILL HOLD ITS ANNUAL CONFERENCE MAY 15

The Hepatitis C Network of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, will hold its annual conference titled "Building Momentum" on May 15. The conference will feature guest speakers and a vigil to commemorate those who have lost their battle with hepatitis C.

For more information, go to: http://hepcnetwork.net/index2.html
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April 16, 2008
HEPATITIS B FOUNDATION'S B INFORMED PATIENT CONFERENCE SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 27-28 IN LOS ANGELES

The 8th Annual B Informed Patient Conference will take place June 27-28. The conference will be held at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles, in collaboration with the Hepatitis B Information & Support List, the HBV Adoption Support List, and the Asian Pacific Liver Center.

Last year almost 200 patients and family members gathered to attend the informative and supportive two-day conference that focused on the care and management of chronic hepatitis B. Through presentations by experts in the field, interactive Q&A sessions, and multiple workshop sessions, participants learned to live more successfully with chronic hepatitis B and gain new friends at the same time.

For more information on the program and registration, go to: http://www.hepb.org/patients/patient_conference.htm
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April 16, 2008
2008 INTERNATIONAL HBV MEETING TO TAKE PLACE AUGUST 17-21 IN SAN DIEGO

The International Meeting of the Molecular Biology of Hepatitis B Viruses will take place August 17-21 in San Diego. The meeting will cover all aspects of the biology of hepatitis B and hepatitis D, including biochemistry, molecular biology, traditional virology, immunology, pathogenesis, and carcinogenesis, as well as the latest developments in antiviral therapies against these two viruses.

The meeting is sponsored by the Hepatitis B Foundation, the Institute for Hepatitis and Virus Research, and the National Institutes of Health.

The deadline for general abstract submissions is June 11.

For information about the meeting agenda and registration specifics, go to: http://www.hbvmeeting.org
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April 16, 2008
VIRAL HEPATITIS PREVENTION BOARD UPDATES ITS WEBSITE WITH NEW MEETING REPORT

The Viral Hepatitis Prevention Board (VHPB) website has been updated to include information from the meeting held in Lucca, Italy, March 13-14: "Prevention and Control of Viral Hepatitis: The role and impact of patient and advocacy groups in and outside Europe."

The meeting information is on the home page of the VHPB website at http://www.vhpb.org
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April 16, 2008
JOURNAL ARTICLES YOU MAY HAVE MISSED

The following recent journal articles present research related to viral hepatitis prevention or treatment.

"Health Characteristics of the Asian Adult Population: United States, 2004-2006"
Authors: Barnes PM, Adams PF, Powell-Griner E
Source: Advance Data, January 22, 2008, Vol. 394:1-22
Full text: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/ad/ad394.pdf

"A Prospective Open Study of the Efficacy of High-Dose Recombinant Hepatitis B Rechallenge Vaccination in HIV-Infected
Patients"
Authors: de Vries-Sluijs TE, Hansen BE, van Doornum GJ, et al.
Source: J Infect Dis, January 15, 2008, Vol. 197(2):292-4
Click here for abstract.

"Changing Trends in Hepatitis C-Related Mortality in the United
States, 1995-2004"
Authors: Wise M, Bialek S, Finelli L, Bell BP, Sorvillo F
Source: Hepatology, April 2008, Vol. 47(4):1128-35
Click here for abstract.

"Greater Drug Injecting Risk for HIV, HBV, and HCV Infection in a City Where Syringe Exchange and Pharmacy Syringe Distribution Are Illegal"
Authors: Neaigus A, Zhao M, Gyarmathy VA, Cisek L, Friedman SR, Baxter RC
Source: J Urban Health, March 14, 2008, Epub ahead of print
Click here for abstract.

"Herbal Medicines in Acute Viral Hepatitis: A Ticket for More Trouble"
Authors: Bernuau JR, Durand F
Source: Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol, March 2008, Vol. 20(3): 161-3
Click here for abstract.