People with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection are at in increased risk for liver cancer, cirrhosis and are 70% to 85% more likely to die prematurely than the general population, according to the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. With an estimated 580,000 to 2.4 million people in the U.S. infected with HBV, the CDC is now recommending that all adults should be tested for the virus at least once in their lives.
“New recommendations include hepatitis B screening using three laboratory tests at least once during a lifetime for adults aged ≥18 years,” the CDC said on Friday.
While vaccinations are considered highly effective at preventing HBV infections, a total 70% of U.S. adults reported they were unvaccinated as of 2018.
