Acute Hepatitis B Outbreak in Maine

Maine CDC has noted a sharp increase in the number of acute hepatitis B cases reported so far in 2016.  There were 15 confirmed cases of acute hepatitis B cases confirmed in Maine between January 1 and May 16, a rate of 1.1 cases per 100,000 persons.  There were no cases of acute hepatitis B during the same time period in 2015.  Maine CDC urges people who are at risk to be vaccinated for hepatitis B, and practice preventative measures to decrease risk of transmission.

The primary risk factor for new cases of acute hepatitis B in Maine in 2016 is injection drug use. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is 100 times more infectious than HIV and 10 times more infectious than hepatitis C virus.  In addition, HBV can survive on open air surfaces for up to seven days and in sealed containers for up to three months.  If individuals are injecting drugs, it is important that they maintain their own injection kit and do not:

• Share injection equipment
• Inject others and then inject self
• Inject on contaminated surfaces

Other persons at risk are:

• Infants born to infected mothers
• Sex partners of infected persons
• Sexually active persons who are not in a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship (e.g., more than one sex partner during the previous 6 months)
• Men who have sex with men
• Household contacts of persons with chronic hepatitis B health care and public safety workers at risk for occupational exposure to blood or blood-contaminated body fluids
• Hemodialysis patients
• Residents and staff of facilities for developmentally disabled persons
• Travelers to countries with intermediate or high prevalence of hepatitis B

Recommendations:

1. Persons at high risk for hepatitis B should be screened and vaccinated for hepatitis A and hepatitis B, if susceptible.
2. Patients diagnosed with hepatitis C should be vaccinated for hepatitis A and B.

Vaccine resources:  

No cost hepatitis A and B vaccine is available for high risk patients through the Maine CDC Adult Viral Hepatitis Program in 13 counties.  Please contact the Viral Hepatitis Coordinator for more information: 207-287-3817.

Reporting: 

Health care providers should report all cases of acute hepatitis B to Maine CDC at 1-800-821-5821 immediately on recognition or strong suspicion of disease. Cases of chronic hepatitis B (conventional and rapid tests) should be reported within 48 hours of recognition or strong suspicion of disease.

For more information: 

• www.mainepublichealth.gov/hep
• http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/mecdc/infectious-disease/epi/hepatitis/index.shtml

Hepatitis B

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. One in in 12 Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders has Hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B is common worldwide, especially in many parts of Asia and the Pacific Islands. In the US, Hepatitis B disproportionately affects Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). While AAPIs make up less than 5% of the U.S. population, they account for more than 50% of Americans living with Hepatitis B. 

Hepatitis B is serious, but treatments are available.

Left untreated, nearly 1 in 4 people living with hepatitis B develop serious liver problems, even liver cancer. In fact, Hepatitis B-related liver cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths among Asian Americans. Getting tested for Hepatitis B can help many people access lifesaving treatments that can prevent serious liver damage.

Two in three Asian Americans with Hepatitis B don't know they are infected.

People can live with Hepatitis B for decades without having any symptoms or feeling sick. Hepatitis B is spread when blood or other body fluid infected with the Hepatitis B virus enters the body of a person who is not infected. This can happen through multiple ways, including getting Hepatitis B from an infected mother at birth or from a family member as a young child. Many AAPIs living with Hepatitis B got infected as infants or young children. Testing is the only way to know if someone has Hepatitis B.

Who should get tested for Hepatitis B?

• Anyone born in Asia or the Pacific Islands (except New Zealand and Australia)
• Anyone born in the United States, who was not vaccinated at birth, and has at least one parent born in East or Southeast Asia (except Japan) or the Pacific Islands (except New Zealand and Australia).

Hepatitis B testing identifies people living with Hepatitis B so they can get medical care to help prevent serious liver damage. Talk to a health care provider about getting tested for Hepatitis B. 

For more information, see:http://www.cdc.gov/knowhepatitisb/FAQs.htm or 

http://www.cdc.gov/knowhepatitisb/ProResources.htm

or  www.mainepublichealth.gov/hep