Hepatitis B infections

doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7474.1059

BMJ 2004;329:1059-1060 (6 November), doi:10.1136/bmj.329.7474.1059

Editorial

Hepatitis B infections

Universal immunisation should be preferred in Britain

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

The hepatitis B virus causes up to a million deaths worldwideand 16 million healthcare related infections in the tropicsevery year.^1
2 In the United Kingdom, 4500 acute hepatitis Bvirus infections, more than 7500 new cases of chronic infectionwith hepatitis B virus (mainly in immigrants), and up to 430cases of hepatitis B virus related hepatocellular carcinomaare estimated to occur each year, with estimated NHS costs aloneof £26m-£375m ($48m-686m; ${euro}$ 37m-538m) per year.³ Approachesto prevention and treatment of hepatitis B have been reviewedin this issue and elsewhere (p 1080).^1-5 Vaccination and theimplications of new screening and treatment strategies for carriersof hepatitis B virus in the Britain are discussed here. Immunisationstrategies targeting multiple risk groups have failed to provideadequate coverage in Britain and should be replaced by universalimmunisation.

Most deaths from hepatitis B virus are due to chronic . . . [Full text of this article]

Nicholas J Beeching, clinical lead and senior lecturer

Tropical and Infectious Disease Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Liverpool L7 8XP (Nicholas.beeching@rlbuht.nhs.uk)

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