(Taiwan English News/Zhu Mingzhu Comprehensive Foreign Report) According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released this Thursday (9th)new proposal, regardless of risk of infection, it is recommended that adults be tested for hepatitis B at least once in their lifetime. This is the first time the CDC has updated its guidelines on liver B screening since 2008.
Hepatitis B and C are the main cause of chronic liver disease for hundreds of millions of people worldwide, and the most common cause of cirrhosis, liver cancer and hepatitis-related death. In the United States, it is estimated that 580,000 to 2.4 million people are carriers, but two-thirds of them may not know it. Therefore, to eradicate liver disease must start with increasing the screening rate.
Hepatitis B is a global disease. Since the main route of infection is that the blood and body fluids infected by the hepatitis B virus enter the human body through the skin or mucous membranes, it can be divided into mother-to-child transmission and horizontal infection. Therefore, in the past, the CDC only recommended screening for high-risk groups, including injecting drug users, pregnant women, and HIV-infected people.
But now this change proves that it is no longer enough to appeal to high-risk groups for screening. After all, active screening and timely treatment during the hepatitis stage can greatly reduce liver damage, and reduce the risk of hepatitis and death.
In addition, CDC has added three high-risk groups for hepatitis B, including prison inmates, inmates in detention facilities (whether they are in custody or have been released from prison); those with a history of sexually transmitted infections or multiple sexual partners; and those with a history of hepatitis C infection. of patients.
The CDC stated that do not ignore valuable screening opportunities because of misunderstandings or fear of being stigmatized. Most liver diseases have no obvious symptoms, and people are prone to delay seeking medical treatment due to lack of vigilance.
【Encyclopedia of Liver B】
In Taiwan, chronic liver disease, liver cirrhosis, and liver cancer are mainly caused by hepatitis B and C virus infection, but about two-thirds of the carriers do not know that they are carriers, and the liver has no nerves, so they often wait until Seek medical attention only at the end stage of liver disease.
After infection with hepatitis, the incubation period is about 3 months. Most people are asymptomatic, but a small number of people will have abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, general weakness, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, jaundice (such as yellow skin and whites of eyes), tea-colored urine, etc. situation. Chronic carriers often have no symptoms or only appear easily tired and tired.
The National Health Service began in August 2008 to provide people who were born after the 55th year of the Republic of China (inclusive) and aged 45 and above, with adult preventive health care services, to receive one-time hepatitis B and C screening services for life. Since June 1, 2018 At first, people with aboriginal status aged 40 to 60 can be combined with adult preventive health care services and receive life-long hepatitis B and C screening services.
Those who do not meet the qualifications for adult preventive health care examinations and have not yet undergone hepatitis B and C screening can use the adult preventive health care services provided by the National Health Service (every 3 years for 40-60 years old, and once a year for those over 65 years old 1 time), carry out liver function “GPT, GOT and other items” checks, and those who have abnormal liver function can receive the necessary viral hepatitis test, follow-up and treatment according to the doctor’s advice, so as to avoid becoming chronic Liver disease and cirrhosis.
Two-thirds are hepatitis B carriers without knowing that the US CDC has added 3 high-risk groups, calling on adults to be screened
