The US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says all adults should be screened at least once in their lifetime for hepatitis B, which affects some 297m people worldwide, including children under five, and is linked to liver disease and cancer.
The agency says at least two-thirds of those infected might not be aware of their condition.
Many people infected with hepatitis B (known as HBV) clear the virus, but acute infection can lead to chronic hepatitis B, which is associated with increased risk of liver cancer and cirrhosis. People with chronic hepatitis B are 70 to 85% more likely to die early, reports CNN.
“Chronic HBV infection can lead to substantial morbidity and mortality but is detectable before the development of severe liver disease using reliable and inexpensive screening tests,” the agency said.
The CDC’s previous recommendation was made in 2008 and urged testing for people at high risk, but now the agency recommends screening for everyone 18 and older at least once, and for women to be screened during each pregnancy, regardless of whether they’ve been vaccinated or tested in the past.
People at high risk – including those with multiple sex partners or with a history of hepatitis C infection – should be tested periodically.
Several medications are available to treat chronic hepatitis B, and there is also a highly effective vaccine against it.
The symptoms of acute hepatitis B infection can include fever, fatigue, abdominal pain, dark urine and jaundice, among others; these signs can take months to appear and can last for weeks or months, but most people clear the infection.
People who progress to develop chronic hepatitis B often feel fine and don’t have symptoms, sometimes for decades. But if symptoms do appear, they can look like the acute infection – and may be a sign of advanced liver disease.
CNN article – All adults should be screened for hepatitis B at least once, CDC says (Open access)
See more from MedicalBrief archives:
Majority of hepatitis B cases remain undiagnosed and untreated
WHO updates guidelines for testing, diagnosis and treatment of Hepatitis B and C
Millions of unnecessary deaths from hepatitis globally
SA children should be vaccinated against Hepatitis B at birth