Analysis of Spread of Hepatitis B All Over the World
More than 2 billion people have been infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) all over the world. It is estimated that there are 350 million chronic carriers of HBV worldwide, and 75 percent of them are Asians. Prevalence rate of hepatitis B is different in different regions. Hepatitis B is highly endemic in China, South East Asia, Africa, Middle East, etc., intermediately in the area of the former Soviet Unions, India, Mediterranean Sea region and Brazil, and less endemic in North America, Western Europe, Australia and South Middle Africa (except Brazil).
Approximately, there are 900 thousand to 1 million people have been infected by HBV in Europe each year. And it is estimated that there are 140 to 320 thousand people are in acute infection with HBV in USA. Epidemiology indicates that following people will be infected HBV easily: baby infects from mother who carries HBV, people who tend to have unsafe sexual behavior, receivers of the infected blood or blood products, doctors or nurses who have direct contact with blood, body fluid or injectors.
Analysis of Spread of Hepatitis B in China
According to the sicken and death report by Ministry of Public Heath, among the 25 different class B infectious diseases nationwide, the incidence and death rate of hepatitis disease is rated top of the list. Up to Sept. 2003, it is reported that there were 1,749,297 sicken cases and 3,236 death cases caused by class B infectious diseases nationwide.
The top five categories of class B infectious disease on the sickness report are: 0.63 million cases of hepatitis; 0.422 million cases of tuberculosis; 0.358 cases of bacteroidal dysentery; 0.118 million cases of gonorrhea and 0.50 million cases of measles. The first fivecategories of class B infectious disease on the death account are: hepatitis, rabies, bacteroidal dysentery and blessed event tetanus.
Statistics show that hepatitis B virus carriers in China accounts for 9.7% of gross population. Incidence of hepatitis B is rated No.1 in all kinds of infectious diseases. It is the most serious among all kinds of hepatitis. China is presently the largest endemic region of hepatitis B across the world. Hepatitis B virus infection is a prevalent disease. The total number of carriers of hepatitis B virus carriers in China at present is 120 million, and symptomatic population exceeds 30 millions; furthermore, 10% pregnant women are hepatitis B virus carrier and this increases the chance for infants to be infected by hepatitis B.
Generally speaking, hepatitis B is a chronic disease with high infectivity. The rate of directly result in death is not high if intercurrent fulminant incidence does not happen, but the ponderance of hepatitis is that it can cause cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma and the death rate resulted from HCC is fairly high. According to the statistics by WHO, there are 430 thousands of HCC cases discovered annually, and among them 3/4 cases occurred in South-east Asia, and the most serious area is in China where there are 110 thousands of people died of HCC each year, male 80 thousands, female 30 thousands, HCC death population accounts for 45% of the world. HCC death rate is just below that of tummy cancer; there are nearly 200 thousands of people died of syndrome correlatively with HCC nationwide.
Hainan Province is a high endemic region of hepatitis B virus infection, and hepatitis B is becoming a growing public health concern for the city government. At present, there are approximately 4,000 hepatitis B cases, which accounts for 1/4 of all povince annual infections discovered each year in Hainan Province. More than 100 thousands of people are hepatitis B virus carriers, 120 thousands of people are sicken with chronic hepatitis B. About 30 thousands of people died of HCC and liver diseases. Treatment fee and healthcare fee used for hepatitis B can reach 650 million RMB. Hepatitis B is causing serious social problems such as difficulties in entering kindergartens, matriculation, obtaining employment, marriage and so forth.
Chinese HBV Carriers Statistics |
Year |
Total
populations |
Carrier rate |
Carrier populations |
1990 |
114,333 |
9.7% |
11,090 |
1991 |
115,823 |
9.7% |
11,235 |
1992 |
117,171 |
9.7% |
11,366 |
1993 |
118,517 |
9.7% |
11,496 |
1994 |
119,850 |
9.7% |
11,625 |
1995 |
121,121 |
9.7% |
11,749 |
1996 |
122,389 |
9.7% |
11,872 |
1997 |
123,626 |
9.7% |
11,992 |
1998 |
124,761 |
9.7% |
12,102 |
1999 |
125,786 |
9.7% |
12,201 |
2000 |
126,743 |
9.7% |
12,294 |
2001 |
127,627 |
9.7% |
12,380 |
2002 |
128,453 |
9.7% |
12,460 |
2003 |
129,227 |
9.7% |
12,535 |
2004 |
130,002 |
9.7% |
12,610 |
2005 |
130,782 |
9.7% |
12,686 |
2006 |
131,567 |
9.7% |
12,762 |
2007 |
132,357 |
9.7% |
12,839 |
2008 |
133,151 |
9.7% |
12,916 |
2009 |
133,950 |
9.7% |
12,993 |
2010 |
134,753 |
9.7% |
13,071 |
2011 |
135,562 |
9.7% |
13,149 |
2012 |
136,375 |
9.7% |
13,228 |
2013 |
137,193 |
9.7% |
13,308 |
2014 |
138,017 |
9.7% |
13,388 |
2015 |
138,845 |
9.7% |
13,468 |
Unit: ten thousands |
In order to decrease the number of newborn baby carriers, we have begun to inoculate hepatitis B vaccine to newborn baby from 1987 over the country. However the effect was not so obvious in most areas and fees of injection are bared by the users. From the year 2002, National Ministry of Public Health programmed that regional government should assist to the charge for vaccine inoculation, but the effect waits to be observed. The number of hepatitis virus carriers in our country will expectedly exceed 130 millions by 2010, and this disbursal will be a great burthen to the country. |
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