VIRGINIA HEPATITIS C 2016 EPIDEMIOLOGIC PROFILE Virginia Hepatitis C Epidemiologic Profile (2016) This project was funded in part through the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) grant Building State/Territorial Health Department Capacity to Develop & Utilize Viral Hepatitis Epidemiologic Profiles. Suggested citation: Virginia Hepatitis C Epidemiologic Profile (2016). Virginia Department of Health, Office of Epidemiology. Available online at: http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/disease-prevention/disease-prevention/viral- hepatitis/hepatitis-data-statistics/ 2016 VIRGINIA HEPATITIS C EPIDEMIOLOGIC PROFILE TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE INTRODUCTION Executive summary 1 Abbreviations used 2 Background 3 SECTION 1: DEMOGRAPHICS Demographics of Virginia 6 SECTION 2: SURVEILLANCE Hepatitis C Surveillance in Virginia 8 SECTION 3: SPECIAL POPULATIONS AND RISK FACTORS Baby boomers and people under 30 years of age 13 Opioids and injection drug use 15 Appalachian region 20 • Spotlight on Southwest Virginia 23 Incarcerated individuals 26 HIV co-infection 28 SECTION 4: TESTING AND TREATMENT Testing 31 Treatment 32 SECTION 5: MORBIDITY Hepatocellular carcinoma 34 Liver transplantation 36 Hospitalization 38 SECTION 6: MORTALITY Deaths 40 CLOSING Next steps 42 Datasets analyzed 44 Acknowledgments 45 Map of health planning geography 46 2016 VIRGINIA HEPATITIS C EPIDEMIOLOGIC PROFILE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Hepatitis C was the fourth most common care. Data on liver transplantation and liver cancer reportable disease among Virginians in 2015, and as well as recent trends in treatment of hepatitis C the rate of reported cases is rising. The Virginia across Virginia are included in this profile. Hepatitis C Epidemiologic Profile was developed to assess the burden of hepatitis C in Virginia, provide The primary risk factor for newly acquired hepatitis a platform to present this complex subject, and use C virus (HCV) infection is injection drug use (IDU) the findings to inform public health planning, (Zibbell, 2015). IDU and opioid drug use has been resource allocation, and policy development. escalating in Virginia in recent years, leading to a syndemic of opioid abuse and HCV infection The Virginia Hepatitis C Epidemiologic Profile (Zibbell, 2015). provides a cohesive summary based on multiple data sources pertinent to hepatitis C including The report concludes with suggestions for using the disease surveillance, testing, treatment, morbidity profile for public health action. It also proposes (illness), and mortality (deaths). Additionally, it future directions to extend these analyses as summarizes findings for specific populations at additional and updated data sources become increased risk, including injection drug users (IDU), available. This profile can serve to increase baby boomers, persons under 30 years old, and awareness of current trends, and dissemination is residents of the Appalachian region of Virginia. encouraged as we collectively strive to improve Data analyses presented here depict descriptive population health and decrease the ongoing epidemiologic findings and trends over time to syndemic of hepatitis C and opioid abuse. draw attention to emerging issues across multiple topic areas. Informational maps developed to References Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hepatitis C FAQs for showcase geospatial characteristics relevant to health professionals. Updated 11 March 2016. hepatitis C throughout the state are also included. http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hcv/hcvfaq.htm#section1 Smith BD et al. Recommendations for the Identification of Chronic Hepatitis C, if untreated, can result in chronic liver Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Persons Born During 1945–1965. disease or hepatocellular cancer, which are difficult MMWR August 17, 2012 / 61(RR04);1-18. 2012. to treat and often lead to recurrent hospitalizations http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr6104a1.htm or liver transplantation. In late 2013, new Zibbell, Jon et al. Increases in Hepatitis C Virus Infection Related to treatments were approved for hepatitis C with Injection Drug Use Among Persons Aged ≤30 Years -- Kentucky, markedly higher cure rates and fewer side effects Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, 2006—2012. MMWR / 64(17);453-458. 8 May 2015. than previously available treatments (CDC, 2016). http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6417a2.htm Such progress highlights the importance of diagnosing hepatitis C and facilitating linkage to 1 2016 VIRGINIA HEPATITIS C EPIDEMIOLOGIC PROFILE ABBREVIATIONS Ab Antibody IQR Interquartile Range ACME Automated Classification of Medical Entities LHD Local Health Department Ag Antigen MMWR Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report APCD All Payer Claims Database MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area ARC Appalachian Regional Commission NEDSS National Electronic Disease Surveillance BOP Federal Bureau of Prisons System CBO Community Based Organization NIH National Institutes of Health CCS Council of Community Services OCME Office of the Chief Medical Examiner CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PCR Polymerase Chain Reaction CHPG Community HIV Planning Group SAMHSA Substance Abuse and Mental Health CRF Case Report Form Services Administration CSTE Council of State and Territorial STD Sexually Transmitted Disease Epidemiologists SUD Substance Use Disorder DAA Direct-Acting Antiviral TEDS SAMHSA Drug Treatment Episode Dataset DDP Division of Disease Prevention UNOS United Network for Organ Sharing DOI Division of Immunization VCR Virginia Cancer Registry eHARS Electronic HIV/AIDS Reporting System VDH Virginia Department of Health EIA Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay VEDSS Virginia Electronic Disease Surveillance ELR Electronic Laboratory Report System HBcAb HBV core antibody VHI Virginia Health Information HBsAb HBV surface antibody VMEDS Virginia Medical Examiner Database HBsAg HBV surface antigen System HBV Hepatitis B Virus HCC Hepatocellular Carcinoma HCV Hepatitis C Virus HIV Human Immunodeficiency Virus IDU Injection Drug Use/ Injection Drug Users 2 2016 VIRGINIA HEPATITIS C EPIDEMIOLOGIC PROFILE It provides a cohesive summary of hepatitis C BACKGROUND transmission, testing, treatment, morbidity, In the United States, more people die of hepatitis C mortality, surveillance, and prevention. A collation than 60 other nationally notifiable infectious of findings from a broad range of datasets diseases combined (Ly, 2016). Hepatitis describes the burden of hepatitis C in Virginia to (inflammation of the liver) is a clinical promote evidence-based public health actions and manifestation that may result from or be policies. exacerbated by certain infections (including HCV infection), autoimmune conditions, or substances. An estimated 3.5 million U.S. residents are HCV is most commonly transmitted via direct blood currently infected with HCV; however, 45-85% are exposure, and the virus may persist in dried blood unaware they are infected (Edlin, 2015; Smith, or on objects for several weeks. Injection drug 2012). In late 2013, new treatments with markedly users (IDU), people who received a blood higher cure rates and fewer side effects became transfusion before 1992, healthcare workers with available nationwide (CDC, 2016). Although these blood exposure (e.g., accidental needle stick), drugs currently are cost prohibitive to most children born to mothers infected with HCV, long- patients living with hepatitis C, they are an term dialysis patients, and persons with HIV encouraging advancement in the management of a infection are most frequently infected with disease once thought to be incurable. hepatitis C. Hepatitis C may also be transmitted via improper tattoo or body piercing, or use of shared Despite the high initial cost of new drug razors, toothbrushes, glucose monitors, or other treatments, studies show they are cost-effective materials that may come into contact with even when compared to the significant long-term costs trace amounts of another person’s blood (VDH, of chronic hepatitis C infection. Associated 2013). complications can result in recurrent hospitalizations, invasive procedures, and liver Because many people do not have symptoms of transplantations (Gissel, 2015; Harinder, 2016). hepatitis C, many do not know they have been Further, curing hepatitis C both improves and exposed and do not seek testing. When illness does extends quality and length of life and serves as a occur, symptoms include fever, fatigue, yellowing preventive measure by reducing the number of of skin (jaundice), dark urine, and light colored people who transmit the virus to others. Because stool. These symptoms may occur in the initial there is no vaccine for HCV, transmission reduction acute stage of infection or throughout long-term remains a fundamental component of reducing the chronic disease, which can persist for decades. overall disease burden. Individuals with chronic hepatitis C are at increased risk for hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhosis, and CDC reports that the current primary risk factor for advanced liver disease requiring liver new HCV infection is IDU (Zibbell, 2015). The US transplantation. Approximately 80% of people has faced an escalating IDU epidemic in recent infected with HCV develop chronic hepatitis C years (Rudd, 2016), particularly concerning opioid (VDH, 2013). drugs. As IDU continues to increase, HCV can quickly move through a population of drug users, The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) received leading to a syndemic of opioid abuse and HCV over 8,000 new reports of chronic and