Hepatitis News
Hepatitis News
July
World Hepatitis Day 2018
Worldwide, 300 million people are living with viral hepatitis unaware. Without finding the undiagnosed and linking them to care, millions will continue to suffer, and lives will be lost. On World Hepatitis Day, 28 July, we call on people from across the world to take action, raise awareness and join in the quest to find the “missing millions”.
http://www.worldhepatitisday.org/
World Hepatitis Day, observed on July 28 every year, aims to raise global awareness of hepatitis — a group of infectious diseases known as Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E — and encourage prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Using hepatitis C-infected donor kidneys could reduce time on dialysis for transplant patients with HCV
CINCINNATI–Transplanting hepatitis C (HCV)-infected dialysis patients with organs from HCV-positive donors and then treating the infection after transplantation is more effective, costs less and will shorten wait times for donated organs, according to a computer analysis conducted by physician-researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine.
The findings are available online in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study’s lead author is Mark Eckman, MD, professor and director of the UC Division of General Internal Medicine.
Continue Reading:
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2018-07/uoca-uhc070618.php
June
Another Adverse Effect of the Opioid Epidemic: Hepatitis C Infections
Amid the ongoing opioid epidemic, hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection should be at the forefront of health care providers’ minds. Although HCV has been widely viewed as predominantly affecting baby boomers—those born between 1945 and 1965—a younger generation is experiencing increased incidence of infection.
From 2010 to 2015, the number of newly reported HCV diagnoses almost tripled, with the highest rate among people in their 20s.
Continue Reading:
May
Hepatitis C in England 2018 report
Working to eliminate hepatitis C as a major public health threat
Hep C: Have men who have sex with men (MSM) reached a turning point?
Last year, 9940 people living with Hep C were treated with the new direct acting antiviral medications in the UK. Treatments typically last 12 weeks and are close to 100 percent effective. Many of those treated were gay men living in London.
In London and across the UK waiting lists are down. In most places there are no longer waiting lists at all. Those diagnosed with Hep C can now expect to start treatment shortly after diagnosis. The goal of health professionals, charities and campaigners is that patients will soon be able to start treatment on the day they are diagnosed.
April
Hepatitis A causes less severe disturbances in liver function in people with HIV but illness lasts longer
Acute hepatitis A is less severe in people with HIV but takes longer to resolve, investigators from Taiwan report in the online edition of Clinical Infectious Diseases. Antiretroviral therapy achieving HIV suppression was associated with a hepatitis A disease course which more closely resembled that observed in HIV-negative individuals.
Transmitting HIV Is a Crime in Most States. Is HCV Next?
Infectious disease docs worry about the implications for patients — and themselves
Back when AIDS was dominating the news, 33 states passed laws making it illegal for HIV-infected people to have sex without their partner’s knowledge of the individual’s HIV status. Such laws were based on the idea that their bodily fluids constitute a deadly weapon.
https://www.medpagetoday.com/practicemanagement/medicolegal/72471
Curing hepatitis C reduces deaths and liver disease
Curing hepatitis C infection significantly reduces deaths from liver disease and reduces the incidence of decompensation, two large prospective studies from Italy and Scotland show. The findings were presented on Saturday at the 2018 International Liver Congress in Paris.
In particular, Italian researchers showed that people with compensated cirrhosis who were not cured of hepatitis C after direct-acting antiviral treatment were 15 times more likely to die of a liver-related cause during the 18-month period after starting treatment than people with compensated cirrhosis who were cured.
http://www.aidsmap.com/Curing-hepatitis-C-reduces-deaths-and-liver-disease/page/3258098/
New affordable hepatitis C combination shows 97% cure rate
The combination of sofosbuvir and the new NS5A inhibitor ravidasvir cured 97% of people with hepatitis C in a study carried out in Malaysia, and could provide a safe and effective cure for hepatitis C in low- and middle-income countries for $300 or less, researchers of the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative reported on the opening day of the 2018 International Liver Congress in Paris.
Approximately 70 million people live with hepatitis C worldwide but access to curative treatment is restricted by price and by the lack of investments in health systems and viral hepatitis diagnosis and treatment.
http://www.aidsmap.com/New-affordable-hepatitis-C-combination-shows-97-cure-rate/page/3256440/
March
Eliminating Hepatitis C in England
England will not fulfill its commitment to elimination of hepatitis C by 2030 unless the number of people diagnosed and initiated onto treatment is greatly increased.
How HIV Alters Cells May Facilitate Sexual Transmission of Hepatitis C
HIV apparently leads to changes to a particular kind of immune cell in the mucosal lining of the rectum that facilitates the transmission of hepatitis C virus (HCV) through anal intercourse.
There is a rising epidemic of sexually transmitted HCV among HIV-positive men who have sex with men (MSM) in Western nations. HIV-negative MSM may also be at risk but apparently to a lesser extent than their HIV-positive counterparts.
https://www.poz.com/article/hiv-alters-cells-may-facilitate-sexual-transmission-hepatitis-c
Newly Discovered HCV Subtype is Resistant to Antiviral Treatment
A newly discovered hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 1 subtype harbors multiple resistance-associated mutations that combine to block therapeutic effect of NS5A inhibitor direct-acting antivirals (DAAs).
Josep Quer, PhD, Liver Disease Laboratory-Viral Hepatitis, Vall d’Hebron Institut Recerca-Hospital Universitari, Barcelona and colleagues report the identification of a new HCV genotype 1 subtype isolated from a treatment-naive patient in Equatorial Guinea.
http://www.mdmag.com/medical-news/newly-discovered-hcv-subtype-is-resistant-to-antiviral-treatment
Hepatitis C Is More Common In Vietnam Vets, But Nobody Is Sure Why
Some veterans say they contracted hepatitis from the “jet gun” that was used to immunize them in the Vietnam era, but researchers haven’t proven that link.
The jet gun injector has never been proven to spread hepatitis C, though the VA says it is scientifically possible. A 2005 VA study concluded that other factors were likely to put veterans at higher risk: intravenous drug use, blood transfusions, tattoos, or time in prison.
http://wunc.org/post/hepatitis-c-more-common-vietnam-vets-nobody-sure-why#stream/0
Study: Shorter hepatitis C treatment effective in black patients
An eight-week treatment regimen for hepatitis C is just as effective as the recommended 12 weeks in African-American patients, according to a Harvard study.
Because of the shorter treatment, patients with the serious liver disease can have their costs reduced, according to a study published this week in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
https://www.upi.com/Study-Shorter-hepatitis-C-treatment-effective-in-black-patients/7321521134947/
WHO urges countries to scale up hepatitis C treatment
However, global access to hepatitis C treatment remains uneven, with a small number of countries accounting for the bulk of the increase. Egypt and Pakistan accounted for about half of all people starting direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment to cure hepatitis C in 2016. There has also been encouraging progress in countries as diverse as Australia, Brazil, China, France, Georgia, Mongolia, Morocco, Rwanda and Spain.
WHO’s report, titled “Progress report on access to hepatitis C treatment: focus on overcoming barriers in low- and middle-income countries”, reviews the progress made in expanding access to life-saving treatment for hepatitis C infection in 23 low- and middle-income countries. It also provides information from innovator and generic medicine manufacturers and multiple partner organizations working in the field of viral hepatitis.
http://www.who.int/hepatitis/news-events/hep-c-access-report-2018-story/en/
February
Smoking threatens health gains from hepatitis C treatment, US researchers warn
People with hepatitis C in the United States are at least three times more likely to smoke than the general population but little is being done to help them stop smoking, and US researchers say it is folly to spend huge sums on hepatitis C treatment without trying to help patients stop smoking.
Severe fibrosis improves in most people after hepatitis C cure but persists in a quarter
Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-related liver fibrosis improves significantly in the majority of people with pre-treatment advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis after treatment resulting in a sustained virological response, Swedish investigators report in the Journal of Viral Hepatitis.
However, advanced fibrosis persisted in a quarter of people and worsened in a small subset of people, showing the need for regular monitoring after successful HCV therapy. Pre-treatment cirrhosis, older age and high body mass index were risk factors for the persistence of advanced cirrhosis.
‘Virus-cracking’ molecules advance fight against hepatitis B
Researchers have found that certain molecules — currently under clinical trial — are able to ‘crack’ the protective shell of the hepatitis B virus, suggesting it may be possible to attack the virus after its already taken hold in the body. There is currently no cure for the virus, which can cause liver failure and cancer.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/02/180206151854.htm
Harm reduction scale-up needed to eliminate HCV in people who inject drugs, European model predicts
January
Smoking reduces survival after liver cancer diagnosis for people with viral hepatitis
Twelve people face court for feeding homeless in California
Hepatitis C treatment highly effective in harder-to-treat people with HIV co-infection, Spanish real-life study shows
Medieval Mummy Was Infected With Hepatitis B
https://www.hepmag.com/article/medieval-mummy-infected-hepatitis-b
HCV Genotype 6 Responds to 8-Week Oral Treatment
http://www.mdmag.com/medical-news/hcv-genotype-6-responds-to-8week-oral-treatment
Hepatitis C Genotypes – Topic Overview
Six major strains (genotypes) of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) cause infection. You may be infected with more than one genotype at a time.
- Genotype 1 is the most common strain in the United States.
- Genotypes 1, 2, and 3 are found worldwide.
- Genotype 4 is found throughout northern Africa.
- Genotype 5 commonly is found in South Africa.
- Genotype 6 is common in Asia.
Genotype testing is done with a blood test.
https://www.webmd.com/hepatitis/tc/hepatitis-c-genotypes-topic-overview
December
Should uninfected patients accept hepatitis C-infected livers to reduce waiting time?
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2017-12/mgh-sup121917.php
Hep C Is Linked to Kidney Disease but Treatment Mitigates the Risk
https://www.hepmag.com/article/hep-c-linked-kidney-disease-treatment-mitigates-risk
No Link Between Hep C Treatment With DAAs and Liver Cancer Risk
https://www.hepmag.com/article/link-hep-c-treatment-daas-liver-cancer-risk
Fatty Liver Disease Is Linked to Liver, Colorectal and Breast Cancer
https://www.hepmag.com/article/fatty-liver-disease-linked-liver-colorectal-breast-cancer
Liver Cancer Risk Higher for People With Well-Treated Hep B Versus Hep C
https://www.hepmag.com/article/liver-cancer-risk-higher-people-welltreated-hep-b-versus-hep-c
November
More work and lower drug prices are needed to eliminate hepatitis C worldwide
Alcohol Use and Metabolic Factors Work in Concert to Drive Liver Disease
https://www.hepmag.com/article/alcohol-use-metabolic-factors-work-concert-drive-liver-disease
In Australia, STIs Are Up, the HIV Rate Is Stable and Hep C Cures Abound
https://www.hepmag.com/article/australia-stis-hiv-rate-stable-hep-c-cures-abound
Global progress towards hepatitis C elimination still blocked by cost of treatment, lack of diagnosis
UK elimination of hepatitis C in jeopardy unless more patients found
October
Hepatitis C test-and-treat programme reduces HCV by two-thirds among men who have sex with men in Swiss HIV Cohort
High rate of hepatitis C reinfection in German men who have sex with men
Maviret cures most people with HCV genotype 3 and those with cirrhosis
Curing Hepatitis C is Linked to a Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
https://www.hepmag.com/article/curing-hepatitis-c-linked-lower-risk-type-2-diabetes
HCV infection is rising among HIV-positive gay men in San Diego
http://www.aidsmap.com/HCV-infection-is-rising-among-HIV-positive-gay-men-in-San-Diego/page/3183387/
Further information on Hepatitis & HIV for people living with a bleeding disorder is available by clicking the link below.
