title: Incidence and risk factors for acute hepatitis B in the United States, 1982-1998: implications for vaccination programs.
abstract: From 1982-1998, enhanced sentinel surveillance for acute hepatitis B was conducted in 4 counties in the United States to determine trends in disease incidence and risk factors for infection. During this period, the reported incidence of acute hepatitis B declined by 76.1% from 13.8 cases per 100,000 in 1987 to 3.3 cases per 100,000 in 1998. Cases associated with injection drug use (IDU) decreased by 90.6%, men who have sex with men (MSM) by 63.5%, and heterosexual activity by 50.7%. During 1994-1998, the most commonly reported risk factor for infection was high-risk heterosexual activity (39.8%) followed by MSM activity (14.6%) and IDU (13.8%). Over half of all patients (55.5%) reported treatment for a sexually transmitted disease (STD) or incarceration in a prison or jail prior to their illness, suggesting that more than half of the acute hepatitis B cases might have been prevented through routine hepatitis B immunization in STD clinics and correctional health care programs.
authors.affiliation: Division of Viral Hepatitis, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30333, USA.
authors.forename: Susan T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.forename: Miriam J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alter
authors.forename: Ian T
authors.initials: IT
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.forename: Linda A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moyer
authors.forename: Franklyn N
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: Judson
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mottram
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fleenor
authors.forename: Patricia L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Ryder
authors.forename: Harold S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Margolis
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D017325:Hepatitis B Vaccines