Tanja Walker

Outcomes of Infants Born to Women Infected With Hepatitis B

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Perinatal exposure is an important mode of hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmission, resulting in chronic disease in ∼90% of infected infants. Immunoprophylaxis recommended for infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen–positive mothers reduces up to 95% of perinatal HBV infections. We sought to identify factors associated with perinatal HBV transmission. METHODS: We analyzed prospectively collected data from 5 of 64 US-funded Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Programs during 2007–2013. We examined effects of maternal demographic and laboratory results, infant gestational age and birth weight, and immunoprophylactic management on perinatal HBV infection. RESULTS: Data from 17 951 mother-infant pairs were analyzed. Among 9252 (51.5%) infants for whom hepatitis B surface antigen testing results were available, 100 (1.1%) acquired perinatal HBV infection. Both hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin were administered within 12 hours of birth for 10 760 (94.9%) of 11 335 infants with information. Perinatal HBV infection was associated with younger maternal age (P = .01), Asian/Pacific Islander race (P < .01), maternal hepatitis B e-antigen positivity (P < .01), maternal antibody to hepatitis B e-antigen negativity (P < .01), maternal viral load ≥2000 IU/mL (P = .04), and infant receipt of <3 HepB vaccine doses (P = .01). Four infants born to 429 mothers with viral load testing were infected; all 4 were born to mothers with viral loads in the ninth or tenth decile. CONCLUSIONS: Perinatal HBV infection occurred among 1% of infants, most of whom received recommended immunoprophylaxis. Infants at greatest risk of infection were those born to women who were younger, hepatitis B e-antigen positive, or who had a high viral load or those infants who received <3 HepB vaccine doses.

Hepatitis B vaccine response among infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen-positive women

PURPOSE Annually, an estimated 25,000 infants are born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive women in the United States. Hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG) are recommended at birth, followed by completion of vaccine series and post-vaccination serologic testing (PVST). In a large cohort of infants born to HBsAg-positive women, factors influencing vaccine response were evaluated. METHODS Data were from HBsAg-negative infants born to HBsAg-positive women in the Enhanced Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Program (EPHBPP) from 2008 to 2013. Vaccine non-responders were defined as infants with antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) <10mIU/mL at PVST after receiving ≥3 vaccine doses. Multivariable analyses modeled statistically significant predictor variables associated with non-response. RESULTS A total of 17,951 maternal-infant pairs were enrolled; 8654 HBsAg-negative infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers received ≥3 doses of vaccine with anti-HBs results. 8199 (94.7%) infants responded to a primary HepB series; 199 (94.8%) to a second series. Factors associated with anti-HBs <10mIU/mL included gestational age <37 weeks, vaccine birth dose >12h after birth, timing of final vaccine dose <6 months after birth, receipt of 3 vs. 4 vaccine doses, and PVST interval >6 months from final vaccine dose in bivariate analysis. PVST interval >6 months from final vaccine dose (OR=2.7, CI=2.0, 3.6) was significantly associated with anti-HBs <10mIU/mL; the proportion increased from 2% at 1-2 months to 21.6% at 15-16 months after the final dose. Receipt of a 4th dose improved the response rate (OR=0.5, CI=0.3, 0.8). CONCLUSIONS Ninety-five percent of a large cohort of uninfected infants born to HBsAg-positive mothers in the United States responded to primary HepB vaccine series. The proportion of infants with anti-HBs <10mIU/mL increased with longer interval between the final vaccine dose and PVST. Optimal timing of PVST is within 1-2 months of final vaccine dose to avoid unnecessary revaccination.

HIV Testing and Outcomes Among Hispanics/Latinos - United States, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands, 2014.

The 2015 National HIV/AIDS Strategy provides an updated plan to address health disparities in communities at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection (1,2). Hispanics/Latinos* are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States. In 2014, 23% of HIV diagnoses were among Hispanics/Latinos, who represented 16% of the U.S. population (3). To examine HIV testing services, CDC analyzed 2014 data from the National HIV Prevention Program Monitoring and Evaluation (NHM&E) system submitted by 60 CDC-funded health departments† and 151 community-based organizations. Among Hispanics/Latinos tested, gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men (MSM) had the highest percentage of HIV diagnoses (2%). MSM accounted for 19.8% of HIV test events conducted among Hispanics/Latinos and 63.8% of Hispanics/Latinos who received an HIV diagnosis in non-health care settings.§ Approximately 60% of Hispanics/Latinos who received an HIV diagnosis were linked to HIV medical care within 90 days; this percentage was lower in the South than in other U.S. Census regions. HIV prevention programs that are focused on expanding routine HIV screening and targeting and improving linkage to medical care and other services (e.g., partner services) for Hispanics/Latinos can help identify undiagnosed HIV cases and reduce HIV transmission.

Characteristics of Pregnant Women With Hepatitis B Virus Infection in 5 US Public Health Jurisdictions, 2008-2012

Objective: We estimated the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), a serologic marker of active hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, among pregnant women, and estimated the proportion HBsAg-positive pregnant women who had received additional recommended testing. Methods: From 2008 through 2012, Perinatal Hepatitis B Prevention Programs (PHBPPs) in Florida, Michigan, Minnesota, New York City, and Texas prospectively collected data on demographic characteristics of HBsAg-positive pregnant women. We estimated the prevalence of HBsAg positivity among pregnant women by demographic characteristics using natality data. PHBPPs (excluding Texas) collected additional recommended testing (for hepatitis B e antigen [HBeAg] and/or HBV deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA]) among HBsAg-positive pregnant women to measure levels of viremia. Results: During the study period, 15,205 HBsAg-positive women were case-managed. The median age of HBsAg-positive women was 29 years; prenatal HBsAg screening was at a median of 27 weeks pre-delivery. Of 15,205 HBsAg-positive women, 11,293 (74.3%) were foreign-born. In four PHBPPs with 14,098 pregnancies among 12,214 HBsAg-positive women, HBeAg and/or HBV DNA testing was documented for 2,794 (19.8%) pregnancies. The estimated prevalence of HBsAg positivity among pregnant women was 0.38% (17,023 of 4,468,773). HBsAg prevalence was highest among foreign-born women from most regions in Asia (2.0% to 8.7%; with the exception of South Asia, 0.4%) and Africa (3.4%). Conclusion: One-fifth of HBsAg-positive pregnant women had documentation for HBeAg and/or HBV DNA, and about one-third reported receiving care for HBV infection during a case-managed pregnancy. Greater emphasis is needed on prenatal evaluation for HBV liver disease care and treatment among pregnant women with HBV infection.

A programmatic approach to address increasing HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino MSM, 2010–2014

From 2010 to 2015, young (13-24 years) Hispanic/Latino gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) experienced the largest increase (18%) in numbers of HIV diagnoses among all racial/ethnic groups. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) assembled a team of scientists and public health analysts to develop a programmatic approach for addressing the increasing HIV diagnosis among Hispanic/Latino MSM. The team used a data driven review process, i.e., comprehensive review of surveillance, epidemiologic, and programmatic data, to explore key questions from the literature on factors associated with HIV diagnoses among Hispanic/Latino MSM and to inform the approach. This paper describes key findings from the review and discusses the approach. The approach includes the following activities: increase awareness and support testing by expanding existing campaigns targeting Hispanic/Latino MSM to jurisdictions where diagnoses are increasing; strengthen existing efforts that support treatment as prevention and increase engagement in care and viral suppression among Hispanic/Latino MSM living with HIV and promote prevention, e.g., PrEP uptake and condom use, among Hispanic/Latino MSM who are at high-risk for HIV infection.

CDC-funded HIV testing, HIV positivity, and linkage to HIV medical care in non-health care settings among young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in the United States

ABSTRACT In the United States, HIV infection disproportionately affects young gay, bisexual, and other men who have sex with men, aged 13–24 years (collectively referred to as YMSM), specifically black YMSM. Knowledge of HIV status is the first step for timely and essential prevention and treatment services. Because YMSM are disproportionately affected by HIV, the number of CDC-funded HIV testing events, overall and newly diagnosed HIV positivity, and linkage to HIV medical care among YMSM in non-health care settings were examined from 61 health department jurisdictions. Differences by age and race/ethnicity were analyzed. Additionally, trends in number of HIV testing events and newly diagnosed HIV positivity were examined from 2011 to 2015. In 2015, 42,184 testing events were conducted among YMSM in non-health care settings; this represents only 6% of tests in non-health care settings. Overall and newly diagnosed HIV positivity was 2.8% and 2.1%, respectively, with black/African–American YMSM being disproportionately affected (5.6% for overall; 4% for newly diagnosed); 71% of YMSM were linked within 90 days. The newly diagnosed HIV positivity among YMSM decreased from 2.8% in 2011 to 2.4% in 2015, and the number of newly diagnosed YMSM also decreased. Further targeted testing efforts among YMSM are needed to identify undiagnosed YMSM, specifically black YMSM.