viral hepatitis

On World Hepatitis Day we reaffirm our commitment to combating chronic viral hepatitis and raising awareness about this serious condition.  Viral hepatitis affects as many as 5.3 million Americans.

Many people who have the disease don’t know they are infected, putting them at greater risk for severe – or even fatal – complications.

Fortunately many cases of viral hepatitis are preventable and, effective treatments are available for those living with the disease

(MedPage Today) -- The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has launched a new initiative aimed at combating the epidemic of viral hepatitis currently affecting some three to five million people in the U.S.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today launched its action plan to prevent and treat viral hepatitis, a silent epidemic affecting 3.5 – 5.3 million Americans.

(European Association for the Study of the Liver) Promising new viral hepatitis data presented today at the International Liver Congress show that entry inhibitors a new mechanism of action for drugs to treat viral hepatitis could provide the first new hepatitis B and hepatitis D treatments for many years.

Viral hepatitis is an umbrella term for the disease that results from several specific viruses that primarily attack the liver and cause inflammation.

Researchers have identified strains of hepatitis A, B, C, D and E, which have different modes of transmission.

(Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health) Viral hepatitis affects more than 500 million people worldwide and while vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B, this is not the case for hepatitis C, which affects as much as two percent of the population in the US.

Now, scientists at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health are reporting discovery of a virus related to hepatitis C in Asian bats, which may provide insights into the origins of the hepatitis C virus.

Honoring Hepatitis Awareness Month in May and marking World Hepatitis Awareness Day on May 19 are critical ways to raise awareness and understanding about the global burden of viral hepatitis.

BOSTON (MedPage Today) -- A simple breath test gives a good overall measure of liver function in patients with chronic viral hepatitis and could help in evaluating potential liver transplant candidates, a researcher said here.

ATLANTA (MedPage Today) -- Outbreaks of viral hepatitis are a growing problem in non-hospital healthcare facilities, such as nursing homes and hemodialysis clinics, the CDC has warned.