Where is hepatitis B most common in the world?
High hepatitis B endemicity occurs in the Alaska Native populations and indigenous populations in Northern Canada Southeast Asia and the South and Western Pacific Islands America Samoa Cambodia China (includes Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan) Cook Islands
What is hepatitis B?
Key facts Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
What is the prevalence of hepatitis B in Canada?
Hepatitis B Virus Infection – High Endemic Geographic Areas. Children younger than seven years of age whose families have immigrated to Canada from areas where there is a high prevalence (8% or higher) of hepatitis B are at increased risk of hepatitis B infections even if neither parent is a chronic carrier.
How long does hepatitis B live outside the body?
In addition, infection can occur during medical, surgical and dental procedures, through tattooing, or through the use of razors and similar objects that are contaminated with infected blood. The hepatitis B virus can survive outside the body for at least 7 days.
Where is hepatitis B most common?
The highest rates of chronic hepatitis B infection in the United States occur among foreign-born individuals, especially people born in Asia, the Pacific Islands, and Africa. Approximately 70% of cases in the United States are among people who were born outside of the United States.
Is hepatitis B an endemic?
The prevalence of HBV infection varies markedly throughout regions of the world 6. Hepatitis B is highly endemic in developing regions with large population such as South East Asia, China, sub-Saharan Africa and the Amazon Basin, where at least 8% of the population are HBV chronic carrier.
Why is hep B endemic in Asia?
First-generation Asians from China, Korea, Vietnam, and those from the Pacific Islands are particularly highly impacted by hepatitis B due to the history of the virus (the virus has been circulating in certain areas of the world for thousands of years), as well as historically low infant immunization rates against the ...
Where is hepatitis B prevalence?
Prevalence was highest among non-Hispanic Asian adults (21.1%), followed by non-Hispanic black (10.8%), Hispanic (3.8%), and non-Hispanic white (2.1%) adults. Prevalence was higher among those born outside of the United States (11.9%) compared with those who were U.S. born (2.5%). Significantly different from women.
Is Hep B endemic in China?
Hepatitis B is endemic in China. Of the 350 million individuals worldwide infected with the hepatitis B virus (HBV), one-third reside in China.
Is hepatitis B endemic in India?
It is estimated that about 200 cores of the world's population have been exposed to the hepatitis B virus (HBV), of whom 350 million harbour it chronically. India falls in the intermediate endemicity zone (prevalence of 2–7%, with an average of 4%), with a disease burden of about 50 million.
What countries have high risk of Hep B?
Regions with a moderate to high risk for hepatitis B infection include—but are not limited to—popular travel destinations such as the Caribbean, Far East,the Middle East, Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, and Central Asia. Although hepatitis A and B are more common in these areas, cases occur in Canada as well.
Why do Asians get hepatitis?
Find your care Most Asians acquire hepatitis B as a consequence of vertical transmission from their mothers during birth or later in life via child-to-child transmission.
What race is most affected by hepatitis?
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) are the racial/ethnic group that is most heavily affected by hepatitis B virus; they comprise about 5% of the U.S. population but comprise about half of all persons living with hepatitis B. An estimated one in 12 AAPIs is living with hepatitis B infection.
Why is hepatitis B so common in China?
The “floating population” has been found to spread hepatitis B in China through sexual contact and blood. This population consists of people who frequently move between rural and urban parts of the country for family and work. Hepatitis B in China is found in rural populations 2.57 percent more than urban populations.
Can I still get hepatitis B even if I was vaccinated?
The good news is that hepatitis B is vaccine preventable. This means that after you complete the vaccine series, you cannot contract hepatitis B through any modes of transmission; you are protected for life!
Who is at highest risk for hepatitis B?
Although anyone can get hepatitis B, these people are at greater risk:Infants born to mothers with hepatitis B.People who inject drugs or share needles, syringes, and other types of drug equipment.Sex partners of people with hepatitis B.Men who have sex with men.People who live with someone who has hepatitis B.More items...•
Is hepatitis endemic or epidemic?
Hepatitis is a silent epidemic that kills two people per minute throughout the world. Washington, D.C., 23 July 2013 (PAHO/WHO) - Viral hepatitis affects some 424 million people throughout the world, killing 1.4 million per year as a result of complications such as acute liver failure, cirrhosis, or liver cancer.
Which hepatitis is endemic?
In highly endemic areas, hepatitis B is most commonly spread from mother to child at birth (perinatal transmission) or through horizontal transmission (exposure to infected blood), especially from an infected child to an uninfected child during the first 5 years of life.
Is hepatitis B an epidemic or pandemic?
Hepatitis B is the global pandemic no one talks about, yet one in three people worldwide has been infected. In 2013, hepatitis B and C together was the seventh-leading cause of death worldwide, with hepatitis B causing 780,000 deaths annually. Today, 257 million people have chronic hepatitis B.
Where is hepatitis endemic?
Hepatitis B occurs in nearly every part of the world but is more common in some countries in Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean. This map shows the worldwide prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection.
Animated Graphic Details
Hepatitis B is a contagious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and is the leading cause of liver cancer.
Hepatitis B around the world
Hepatitis B is a contagious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and is the leading cause of liver cancer.
Who is at risk?
Hepatitis B occurs in nearly every part of the world but is more common in some countries in Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean. This map shows the worldwide prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection.
What can travelers do to prevent disease?
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect against hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a routine vaccination that infants in the United States receive at birth. The hepatitis B vaccine is over 90% effective at preventing infection and has been routinely recommended for infants since 1991. The vaccine is given in 2, 3, or 4 shots and the series of shots is usually completed by 6 months of age.
How can you get hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B virus is found in the blood and body fluids of infected people. People infected with hepatitis B virus can spread it to others. You can be infected with hepatitis B virus if you. Have sex with an infected partner. Share needles, syringes, or drug preparation equipment with an infected person.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis B?
Early symptoms of hepatitis B can include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain, and jaundice (yellow color in the skin or the eyes). Some infected people develop chronic (lifelong) hepatitis B. The long-term health effects caused by chronic hepatitis B infection can ...
What to do if you have an infected person?
Share needles, syringes, or drug preparation equipment with an infected person. Share personal care items such as razors, toothbrushes, or medical equipment, such as a glucose monitor, with an infected person. Get cut with a sharp instrument or have a needlestick injury in a health care setting. Touch the blood or open sores of an infected person. ...
What to do if you are sick on a trip?
If you traveled and feel sick, particularly if you have a fever, talk to a healthcare provider and tell them about your travel. Avoid contact with other people while you are sick.
Tools & Resources
This two page table on Hepatitis A, B, and C provides an overview of statistics, transmission, risk factors, clinical features, screening, testing and vaccination recommendations. Color pdf icon [PDF- 2 pages]
Major Guidelines
Recommendations for Identification and Public Health Management of Persons with Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection
Table 1: Hepatitis B and C in the WHO Western Pacific Region
Reliable epidemiological estimates for hepatitis B and C are not available for many countries in the Region. Presented in this table is estimated prevalence of chronic HBV and HCV in the Western Pacific Region.
Table 2: Top 10 country ranking: age-standardized incidence rate of liver cancer
ASR or ge-standardized mortality rate is a weighted average of the age-specific mortality rates per 100 000 persons, where the weights are the proportions of persons in the corresponding age groups of the WHO standard population.
Cirrhosis and liver cancer cause most hepatitis-related deaths
Among the causes attributed to deaths due to hepatitis in 2019, acute hepatitis caused nearly 1% of deaths while 99% were attributed to cirrhosis and liver cancer (49.5% each). Most (72%) acute hepatitis deaths were due to hepatitis B. Hepatitis B and C are the major causes of liver cirrhosis in the Western Pacific region (Figure 1 -3).
