Asian and Pacific Islander population at increased risk of hepatitis B

A number of recent hepatitis B studies has led health officials in Washington to encourage at-risk populations to get tested for the virus. The trials have found that these groups inclue those who are of Asian or Pacific Islander descent or foreign-born Asian Americans, according to The Seattle Times.

Hepatitis B is a disease that causes liver damage and spreads through the blood as well as other bodily fluids, especially during unprotected sex. However, recent studies have found that in Asian counties, the spread of the disease commonly occurs through childbirth.

In fact, an estimated 10 percent of Asian Americans who were born outside of the U.S. have been diagnosed with hepatitis B, the news source reports. Researchers have discovered that a lack in prenatal care in these regions could be the reason why so many Asian Americans are testing positive for the disease.

Kris Kowdley, director of the Center for Liver Disease at Virginia Mason's Benaroya Research Institute, stated that "most patients think if they don't have symptoms, they must be fine, but the liver is a huge organ with a remarkable capacity to withstand damage and still function." He added that "the only way to know you don't have hepatitis B is to be tested."

Hepatitis B is a growing epidemic found nationwide, as an estimated 43,000 Americans test positive for the disease each year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.