Hepatitis B Virus in the United States

Letters2 August 2011Hepatitis B Virus in the United StatesSu H. Wang, MD, MPH, Perry Pong, MD, and Henry Pollack, MDSu H. Wang, MD, MPHFrom Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, New York, NY 10013, and New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016.Search for more papers by this author, Perry Pong, MDFrom Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, New York, NY 10013, and New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016.Search for more papers by this author, and Henry Pollack, MDFrom Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, New York, NY 10013, and New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-155-3-201108020-00020 SectionsSupplemental MaterialAboutFull TextPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail This article has been corrected. The original version (PDF) is appended to this article as a supplement.TO THE EDITOR:We read Ioannou's article (1) with great interest. Accurate estimates of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection and immunity are important for targeting disease prevention and treatment efforts. Because persons of Asian and Pacific Islander descent account for more than 50% of cases of chronic HBV infection in the United States (2), the underrepresentation of these populations in Ioannou's study should not be downplayed. Asians and Pacific Islanders make up 5% of the U.S. population but are classified as “other race” ...References1. 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] LinkGoogle Scholar2. Colvin HM, Mitchell AE, eds; Institute of Medicine. Hepatitis and Liver Cancer: A National Strategy for Prevention and Control of Hepatitis B and C. Washington, DC: National Academies Pr; 2010:61-2. Accessed at iom.edu/Reports/2010/Hepatitis-and-Liver-Cancer-A-National-Strategy-for-Prevention-and-Control-of-Hepatitis-B-and-C.aspx on 29 March 2011. Google Scholar3. 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 Scholar4. Jacobson IM, Wang S, Edlin BR, Smith VK, Chow EA. Transforming strategies to provide access to care. J Fam Pract. 2010;59:S59-64. [PMID: 20398592] MedlineGoogle Scholar5. Post SE, Sodhi NK, Peng CH, Wan K, Pollack HJ. A simulation shows that early treatment of chronic hepatitis B infection can cut deaths and be cost-effective. Health Aff (Millwood). 2011;30:340-8. [PMID: 21289356] CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAuthors: Su H. Wang, MD, MPH; Perry Pong, MD; Henry Pollack, MDAffiliations: From Charles B. Wang Community Health Center, New York, NY 10013, and New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016.Disclosures: None disclosed. PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsSee AlsoHepatitis B Virus in the United States: Infection, Exposure, and Immunity Rates in a Nationally Representative Survey George N. Ioannou Hepatitis B Virus in the United States Alison A. Evans , Chari Cohen , and W.T. London Hepatitis B Virus in the United States George N. Ioannou Correction: Hepatitis B Virus in the United States Metrics Cited byCharacteristics of Adults in the Hepatitis B Research Network in North America Reflect Their Country of Origin and Hepatitis B Virus GenotypeHepatitis B in the United States: A major health disparity affecting many foreign-born populationsProblems With the Collection and Interpretation of Asian-American Health Data: Omission, Aggregation, and ExtrapolationCorrection: Hepatitis B Virus in the United States 2 August 2011Volume 155, Issue 3Page: 204KeywordsHealth surveysHepatitisHepatitis B virusHepatocellular carcinomaInfectious diseasesPatientsPopulation statisticsPrevention, policy, and public healthRacial and ethnic issuesVaccines ePublished: 2 August 2011 Issue Published: 2 August 2011 Copyright & PermissionsCopyright © 2011 by American College of Physicians. All Rights Reserved.PDF downloadLoading ...