Background and Aim:  Australia has increasing immigration from hepatitis B virus (HBV) endemic countries of the Asia-Pacific region (APR). This study estimates immigration-related chronic HBV cases, chronic HBV prevalence, and HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from 1960 to 2005 and projects HBV-related HCC to 2025 in Australia among people born in the APR.



Methods:  The populations of APR origin for the period 1960–2005 were derived from Australian census data. HBV prevalence from population-based serosurveys in the APR countries was used to estimate new chronic HBV cases (immigrant arrivals per year with chronic HBV). Age-specific incidence rates of HCC derived from a Taiwanese population-based study were used to estimate and project HBV-related HCC.



Results:  Chronic HBV cases among APR-born population increased rapidly from the late 1970s reaching a peak of 4182 in 1990. Chronic HBV prevalence increased to >53 000 in 2005. Estimates of HBV-related HCC increased linearly from one in 1960 to 140 in 2005, with a projected increase to 250 in 2025. Universal HBV vaccination programs in countries of origin had limited impact on projected HBV-related HCC to 2025.



Conclusion:  The burden of chronic HBV including HBV-related HCC among APR-born Australians has increased over the past three decades and is projected to increase further during the next two decades.

Estimates and projections of hepatitis B-related hepatocellular carcinoma in Australia among people born in Asia-Pacific countries.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major public health problem in Vietnam. Recent studies have found that prevalence of current HBV infection (HBsAg+) ranges from 10% to 20% in the general population and 20% to 40% among injecting drug users and HIV+ patients. However, HBV prevention and control in Vietnam relies heavily on universal infant vaccination program and HBsAg screening for blood donors. Currently, HBV prevention and control is underfunded by the government and receives little support from international agencies. HBV-related liver disease will continue to create a heavy burden for public health in Vietnam in the next several decades unless appropriate interventions are undertaken urgently. Establishment of a national strategy for HBV prevention and control is crucial to develop and implement effective interventions.

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1010539510385220

Hepatitis B infection in Vietnam: current issues and future challenges.

Viral hepatitis is a disease of great concern to public health that is now met by a favorable momentum to combat the global epidemic. This article is intended to highlight the importance of viral hepatitis in the Vietnam population as well in the group of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). We reviewed available data on epidemiology and response on hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV coinfection in Vietnam. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence in the general population ranged from 5.7% to 24.7%. The anti-HCV prevalence ranged from 0.38% to 4.3% in the general population, while among people who inject drugs (PWIDs) it ranged from 31% to 97.2%. The HBV prevalence among PLWHA is similar to the general population, while HCV/HIV coinfection is concentrated in some groups. Anti-HCV prevalence among HIV-infected PWIDs can be as high as 98.5%. Developing policies for diagnosis and treatment of chronic HBV and HCV infections are critical priorities in order to prevent clinical progression to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1545109712453939

Epidemiology, responses, and way forward: the silent epidemic of viral hepatitis and HIV coinfection in Vietnam

The Rhesus (Rh) blood group system is one of the most highly polymorphic genetic systems used in the investigation of human genetic relationships. In this paper the researchers aimed to expand the determination of the Rh haplotype frequencies in new samples from North African populations providing comparative analyses within and between these populations. A total of 771 blood samples were collected from three North African countries. Results reveal a general genetic homogeneity between North African populations when samples representative of wide areas were considered, regardless of their current linguistic status. However a significant micro-differentiation could be noted when small areas were considered. North African populations would possess a low ancient genetic sub-Saharan component. Analyses of the Rh haplotype frequency variation showed that worldwide populations represent a network of genetic relationships having adequate statistics and a general correspondence with geography coupled to historical patterns of gene flow and genetic drift influence.

Variation of Rhesus Haplotype Frequencies in North Africans and in Worldwide Population Analyses

Etude épidémiologique des anticorps anti-HCV chez les donneurs de sang en Tunisie

Resume Les serums de 573 donneurs de sang vietnamiens provenant de Hanoi (Nord Viet Nam) ont ete examines par la methode radio-immunologique. L'antigene HBs a ete detecte chez 66 (11,5 %) sujets, parmi lesquels on note 17 (25,8 %) antigenes HBe et 43 (65,1 %) anticorps anti-HBe. L'anticorps anti-HBc seul a ete trouve chez 22 (3,8 %) sujets et l'anticorps anti-HBs chez 402 (70,2 %) sujets. Le pourcentage de ce dernier marqueur augmente avec l'âge. 83 (14,5 %) sujets seulement ne sont porteurs d'aucun marqueur du virus de l'hepatite B (VHB). Le pourcentage des sujets sans marqueurs du VHB decroit avec l'âge. Le test du χ 2 montre une difference non significative pour les frequences de l'AgHBs, de l'anticorps anti-HBc seul et de l'anticorps anti-HBs mais significative pour les frequences des « sans marqueurs du VHB , entre hommes et femmes.

Prévalence des marqueurs du virus de l'hépatite B chez des donneurs de sang vietnamiens

Prévalence des anticorps anticytomégalovirus dans une population de donneurs de sang de la région parisienne

Valeur de l'alanine aminotransférase et réduction des hépatites non-A non-B post-transfusionnelles

Resume. — Les frequences geniques de sept systemes de polymorphisme : ABO, Rhesus, MNSs, Duffy, Kell, Lutheran et P, ont ete etudiees chez 110 donneurs de sang non apparentes cambodgiens d'orgine Khmer, provenant de l'hopital de l'Economie et du Commerce de Phnom-Penh (Kampuchia). Le bon ajustement des resultats a ete verifie et l'equilibre Hardy-Weinberg recherche. Une comparaison detaillee des frequences des differents genes et haplotypes avec celles des populations de l'Asie a ete faite.

Les marqueurs érythrocytaires d'une population Khmer de donneurs de sang

Resume Un depistage de porteurs d'anticorps antitetaniques (AcAT) a ete effectue chez 4 770 donneurs de sang. Le pourcentage de sujets « positifs(taux d'AcAT ⩾ 5 U.I./ml par la technique de Laurell ) est relativement eleve : 6,62 %. L'etude statistique donne la repartition des porteurs d'AcAT selon differents facteurs : le test du x 2 a permis de conclure a une liaison non significative entre frequence de porteurs d'AcAT « positifset groupes sanguins ABO mais a une liaison significative entre frequence des porteurs d'AcAT « positifs , sexe et âge. Ces resultats sont en accord avec ceux de l'etude apres vaccination. L'avantage est double : la connaissance de l'etat de vaccination de la population de donneurs de sang avant toute vaccination permet d'orienter la collecte de serums « positifssans avoir a attendre la vaccination.

B. Hoang

Papers

Prévalence des marqueurs du virus de l'hépatite B chez des donneurs de sang vietnamiens

Prévalence des anticorps anticytomégalovirus dans une population de donneurs de sang de la région parisienne

Valeur de l'alanine aminotransférase et réduction des hépatites non-A non-B post-transfusionnelles

Les marqueurs érythrocytaires d'une population Khmer de donneurs de sang

Dépistage des porteurs d'anticorps antitétaniques chez les donneurs de sang