— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate
A community screening program conducted in Korean churches in
southern California uncovered good news: only 3% of 973
first-generation Korean-Americans screened were infected with HBV. That
rate is far below the estimated 10% infection rate among many Asian
immigrant groups.
The bad news is that many of those screened had
not been immunized and many had been infected in the past, but managed
to clear the virus.
The screening occurred in San Bernardino and
Riverside counties, home to 4 million residents, including many
Asian-Americans. Participants, whose average age was 52, were surveyed
about hepatitis B, and asked if they had ever been infected or immunized
against the virus.
About 25% said they had been vaccinated against hepatitis B. But their blood tests revealed:
- 3% were infected with HBV
- 35.7% had been infected at some point but had cleared the infection.
- 20% had not been immunized and were susceptible to infection
- And 40.3% had been immunized against hepatitis B.
Men had a higher infection prevalence (4.9% vs.
1.7%) than women and a lower vaccination rate (34.6% vs. 44.0%). About
35.1% of participants incorrectly reported their immunization status.
"This large screening study in first-generation
Koreans in Southern California demonstrates: 1) a lower than expected
HBV prevalence (3%), 2) a continued need for vaccination, and 3) a need
for screening despite a reported history of vaccination," researchers
reported in the journal BMC Infectious Diseases.
Source: http://healthmedicinet.com/news/lower-than-expected-hepatitis-b-virus-infection-prevalence-among-first-generation-koreans-in-the-u-s-results-of-hbv-screening-in-the-southern-california-inland-empire/
HBV Journal Review — June 1, 2014, Vol 11, no 6
Labels: epidemiology, infection rates, Korean-Americans
