Hepatitis B in Asian Americans

1
Hepatitis B in Asian Americans

• Anne K. Chung
• The University of Arizona
• APAMSA National Education Officer

2
Hepatitis B

• virus
• world's most common liver infection
• 2 billion people (1 out of 3 people) have been
  infected with HBV
• 400 million chronic carriers
• adults vs. children
• Progression to chronic infection
• About 6 of people who get hepatitis B as adults
• 30-90 of people who get hepatitis B as children

3
Ways of Transmission

• from mother to child
• During birth
• Through breast milk
• contact with bleeding or oozing skin sores or
  cuts
• when one child bites another
• unprotected sex
• living in a household with someone who has
  chronic hepatitis B
• sharing personal items
• razors, toothbrushes, washcloths, or nail
  clippers that might have blood or other body
  fluids on them
• pre-chewing food for a baby
• sharing chewing gum or food that has been in
  another person's mouth
• unsterilized needles
• ear piercing, tattooing, injecting drugs,
  acupuncture, or accidental needle stick

4
Symptoms

• loss of appetite
• yellow skin and eyes
• nausea, vomiting
• fever
• weakness, tiredness
• abdominal pain
• joint pain
• dark urine
• may be asymptomatic

5
Hepatitis B in Asian Americans

• In the U.S., more than half of the 1.25 million
  chronic carriers of HBV are of Asian descent.
• Rates
• Asian Americans 8-15
• General U.S. population 0.3
• Immigrant groups
• Hmong - 18
• Chinese - 11
• Vietnamese - 7.6
• Korean - 6
• Filipino - 4
• Japanese - 1.9
• Most common route of infection in Asian Americans
  - perinatal

6
Consequences

• Liver cancer
• 2nd most common cause of cancer in
  Vietnamese-Americans.
• Liver cancer rates Asian men vs. non-Asian men
• Vietnamese-American 13X
• Korean-American men 8X
• Chinese-American 6X
• Liver cirrhosis

7
What can you do?

• Testing
• hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) test
• surface antibody (HBsAb) test
• Vaccination
• Series of 3 immunizations over 6 months
• Screening
• Liver cancer - alpha-fetoprotein
• Treatment
• Lamivudine
• Adefovir
• Interferon therapy
• Surgery liver transplant

8
Additional Resources

• CDC
• http//www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/
• Asian Liver Center at Stanford
• http//liver.stanford.edu
• Hepatitis B Information and Assistance HelpLine
• 1-888-888-0981
• available in Vietnamese, English, Mandarin,
  Cantonese, Korean.
• Hepatitis B Foundation
• info_at_hepb.org
• 215-489-4900