Hepatitis B and C cause most cases of hepatitis in the United States and the world. The two diseases account for about a million deaths a year and 78 percent of world's hepatocellular carcinoma and more than half of all fatal cirrhosis. In 2013 viral hepatitis, of which hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) are the most common types, surpassed HIV and AIDS to become the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. The world now has the tools to prevent hepatitis B and cure hepatitis C. Perfect vaccination could eradicate HBV, but it would take two generations at least. In the meantime, there is no cure for the millions of people already infected. Conversely, there is no vaccine for HCV, but new direct-acting antivirals can cure 95 percent of chronic infections, though these drugs are unlikely to reach all chronically-infected people anytime soon. This report, the first of two, examines the feasibility of hepatitis B and C elimination in the United States and identifies critical success factors. The phase two report will outline a strategy for meeting the elimination goals discussed in this report.

THE ESSENTIAL WORK IN TRAVEL MEDICINE -- NOW COMPLETELY UPDATED FOR 2018 As unprecedented numbers of travelers cross international borders each day, the need for up-to-date, practical information about the health challenges posed by travel has never been greater. For both international travelers and the health professionals who care for them, the CDC Yellow Book 2018: Health Information for International Travel is the definitive guide to staying safe and healthy anywhere in the world. The fully revised and updated 2018 edition codifies the U.S. government's most current health guidelines and information for international travelers, including pretravel vaccine recommendations, destination-specific health advice, and easy-to-reference maps, tables, and charts. The 2018 Yellow Book also addresses the needs of specific types of travelers, with dedicated sections on: · Precautions for pregnant travelers, immunocompromised travelers, and travelers with disabilities · Special considerations for newly arrived adoptees, immigrants, and refugees · Practical tips for last-minute or resource-limited travelers · Advice for air crews, humanitarian workers, missionaries, and others who provide care and support overseas Authored by a team of the world's most esteemed travel medicine experts, the Yellow Book is an essential resource for travelers -- and the clinicians overseeing their care -- at home and abroad.

The global epidemic of hepatitis B and C is a serious public health problem. Hepatitis B and C are the major causes of chronic liver disease and liver cancer in the world. In the next 10 years, 150,000 people in the United States will die from liver disease or liver cancer associated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections. Today, between 800,000 and 1.4 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis B and between 2.7 and 3.9 million have chronic hepatitis C. People most at risk for hepatitis B and C often are the least likely to have access to medical services. Reducing the rates of illness and death associated with these diseases will require greater awareness and knowledge among health care workers, improved identification of at-risk people, and improved access to medical care. Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. Although federal public health officials recommend that all newborns, children, and at-risk adults receive the vaccine, about 46,000 new acute cases of the HBV infection emerge each year, including 1,000 in infants who acquire the infection during birth from their HBV-positive mothers. Unfortunately, there is no vaccine for hepatitis C, which is transmitted by direct exposure to infectious blood. Hepatitis and Liver Cancer identifies missed opportunities related to the prevention and control of HBV and HCV infections. The book presents ways to reduce the numbers of new HBV and HCV infections and the morbidity and mortality related to chronic viral hepatitis. It identifies priorities for research, policy, and action geared toward federal, state, and local public health officials, stakeholder, and advocacy groups and professional organizations.

Testing and diagnosis of hepatitis B (HBV) and C (HCV) infection is the gateway for access to both prevention and treatment services, and is a crucial component of an effective response to the hepatitis epidemic. Early identification of persons with chronic HBV or HCV infection enables them to receive the necessary care and treatment to prevent or delay progression of liver disease. Testing also provides an opportunity to link people to interventions to reduce transmission, through counselling on risk behaviors and provision of prevention commodities (such as sterile needles and syringes) and hepatitis B vaccination. These are the first WHO guidelines on testing for chronic HBV and HCV infection and complement published guidance by WHO on the prevention, care and treatment of chronic hepatitis C and hepatitis B infection. These guidelines outline the public health approach to strengthening and expanding current testing practices for HBV and HCV, and are intended for use across age groups and populations.

The definitive reference for travel medicine, updated for 2020 "A beloved travel must-have for the intrepid wanderer." -Publishers Weekly "A truly excellent and comprehensive resource." -Journal of Hospital Infection The CDC Yellow Book offers everything travelers and healthcare providers need to know for safe and healthy travel abroad. This 2020 edition includes: � Country-specific risk guidelines for yellow fever and malaria, including expert recommendations and 26 detailed, country-level maps � Detailed maps showing distribution of travel-related illnesses, including dengue, Japanese encephalitis, meningococcal meningitis, and schistosomiasis � Guidelines for self-treating common travel conditions, including altitude illness, jet lag, motion sickness, and travelers' diarrhea � Expert guidance on food and drink precautions to avoid illness, plus water-disinfection techniques for travel to remote destinations � Specialized guidelines for non-leisure travelers, study abroad, work-related travel, and travel to mass gatherings � Advice on medical tourism, complementary and integrative health approaches, and counterfeit drugs � Updated guidance for pre-travel consultations � Advice for obtaining healthcare abroad, including guidance on different types of travel insurance � Health insights around 15 popular tourist destinations and itineraries � Recommendations for traveling with infants and children � Advising travelers with specific needs, including those with chronic medical conditions or weakened immune systems, health care workers, humanitarian aid workers, long-term travelers and expatriates, and last-minute travelers � Considerations for newly arrived adoptees, immigrants, and refugees Long the most trusted book of its kind, the CDC Yellow Book is an essential resource in an ever-changing field -- and an ever-changing world.

The Guest Editors have assembled top international experts to present clinical reviews on the most current data being utilized in the diagnosis, treatment, and management of HBV. In fact, the most recent EASL meeting fndings are included in many of the articles. Special focus is given to Results of Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis B with Pegylated Interferon; Impact of Therapy on the Long Term Outcome of Chronic Hepatitis B; HBsAg Quantification: Clinical; HBV Infection and Hepatocellular Carcinoma; HIV-HBV Co-Infection: An Update; Hepatitis Delta: The Rediscovery; and Treatment of Patients with HBV Related Decompensated Cirrhosis and Liver Transplanted Patients

In collaboration with Consulting Editor, Dr. Norman Gitlin, Dr. Tarek Hassanein has assembled top experts in hepatology to bring current information on the topic of Hepatitis B Virus. The issue provides the most current information on the prevention and care of infected patients. Specific articles are devoted to the following topics: Global perspective on HBV infections in the era of effective vaccines; Understanding the natural history of HBV infection and the new definitions of cure and the endpoints of clinical trials; HBV/HCV coinfection in the era of HCV-DAAs; Antiretroviral effects on HBV/HIV coinfection and the natural history of liver disease; Impact of HBV infection on HCC and liver transplantation; HBV in pregnant women and their infants; WHO guidelines for prevention, care and treatment of individuals infected with HBV: A US perspective; Reconciling the difference between the major HBV treatment guidelines: AASLD, EASL, APASL; HBV/HDV coinfection: A challenge for therapeutics; and The effects of hepatic steatosis on the natural history of HBV infection. Readers will come away with the current information they need to manage patient outcomes.