Screening for and Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among High-Risk Veterans Under the Care of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: A Case Report
Authors: Lisa I. Backus, Pamela S. Belperio, Timothy P. Loomis, Steven-Huy Han, Larry A. Mole
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (2014)

Letters16 December 2014Screening for and Prevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Infection Among High-Risk Veterans Under the Care of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: A Case ReportLisa I. Backus, MD, PhD, Pamela S. Belperio, PharmD, Timothy P. Loomis, PhD, Steven-Huy Han, MD, and Larry A. Mole, PharmDLisa I. Backus, MD, PhDFrom Office of Public Health/Population Health, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Pfleger Liver Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.Search for more papers by this author, Pamela S. Belperio, PharmDFrom Office of Public Health/Population Health, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Pfleger Liver Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.Search for more papers by this author, Timothy P. Loomis, PhDFrom Office of Public Health/Population Health, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Pfleger Liver Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.Search for more papers by this author, Steven-Huy Han, MDFrom Office of Public Health/Population Health, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Pfleger Liver Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.Search for more papers by this author, and Larry A. Mole, PharmDFrom Office of Public Health/Population Health, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Pfleger Liver Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/L14-5036 SectionsAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail Background: The burden of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is considered to be concentrated in several high-risk populations, but information about screening rates and infection prevalence in these groups is scarce (1–5). Identifying infected persons to prevent transmission and reduce the risk for disease progression is an important goal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and practice guidelines from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases recommend screening for HBV infection in several high-risk populations (1, 2).Objective: To assess the extent to which veterans under the care of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have ...References1. Weinbaum CM, Williams I, Mast EE, Wang SA, Finelli L, Wasley A, et al; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).. Recommendations for identification and public health management of persons with chronic hepatitis B virus infection. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2008;57:1-20. [PMID: 18802412] MedlineGoogle Scholar2. Lok AS, McMahon BJ. Chronic hepatitis B: update 2009. Hepatology. 2009;50:661-2. [PMID: 19714720] doi:10.1002/hep.23190 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. Ioannou GN. Hepatitis B virus in the United States: infection, exposure, and immunity rates in a nationally representative survey. Ann Intern Med. 2011;154:319-28. [PMID: 21357909] doi:10.7326/0003-4819-154-5-201103010-00006 LinkGoogle Scholar4. Wasley A, Kruszon-Moran D, Kuhnert W, Simard EP, Finelli L, McQuillan G, et al. The prevalence of hepatitis B virus infection in the United States in the era of vaccination. J Infect Dis. 2010;202:192-201. [PMID: 20533878] doi:10.1086/653622 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. Kowdley KV, Wang CC, Welch S, Roberts H, Brosgart CL. Prevalence of chronic hepatitis B among foreign-born persons living in the United States by country of origin. Hepatology. 2012;56:422-33. [PMID: 22105832] doi:10.1002/hep.24804 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Lisa I. Backus, MD, PhD; Pamela S. Belperio, PharmD; Timothy P. Loomis, PhD; Steven-Huy Han, MD; Larry A. Mole, PharmDAffiliations: From Office of Public Health/Population Health, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California; and Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System and Pfleger Liver Institute, David Geffen School of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California.Disclosures: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest. Forms can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L14-0343. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byPrevalence of Chronic Hepatitis B Virus Infection in the United StatesPrevalence of Hepatitis B Virus Exposure in the Veterans Health Administration and Association With Military-Related Risk FactorsEvaluating the Effect of Standard of Care Treatment on Burden of Chronic Hepatitis B: A Retrospective Analysis of the United States Veterans PopulationChronic Hepatitis B in US VeteransPrevalence of Human Immunodeficiency Virus, Hepatitis C Virus, and Hepatitis B Virus Among Homeless and Nonhomeless United States VeteransVeterans health administration hepatitis B testing and treatment with anti-CD20 antibody administration 16 December 2014Volume 161, Issue 12Page: 926-928KeywordsHIV infectionsHepatitis BImmunosuppressivesInternational classification of diseases ninth revision clinical modificationLaboratory testsLiver diseasesMedical dialysisPopulation statisticsResearch laboratoriesSexually transmitted diseases ePublished: 16 December 2014 Issue Published: 16 December 2014 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2014 by American College of Physicians. 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