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Jane Pan speaking for the Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington, D.C, Oct. 23, 2011. (Tam Duong)

Viral hepatitis (Hepatitis A, B & C) is the leading infectious cause of death in the United States, but people have little awareness of the virus, including many health care providers, according to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Every year, viral hepatitis takes the lives of 12,000-15,000 Americans, yet it remains largely unknown to the general public, says HHS.

One particular deadly strain of viral hepatitis is Hepatitis B, which is the most common virus in the world. About 2 billion people have been infected (1 out of 3 people), 400 million people are chronically infected, 10-30 million will become infected each year, and an estimated 1 million people die each year from Hepatitis B and its complications.

Theres a stigma connected with the disease. Thats why they call it a silent killer, said Jane Pan, the executive director of Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington, DC (HBI-DC) in an interview with The Epoch Times. She thinks it is very important to notice that the disease is winning because of our silence.

The Hepatitis B Initiative of Washington, DC was established in Washington Metropolitan Area in 2002.

Because most persons who are infected dont know they have it, viral hepatitis is often referred to as a silent epidemic. The HBI-DC wants to change that. Pan said her organization organizes free education, screening and vaccination events in collaboration with faith-based and community based organizations in Washington Metropolitan Area.

In the United Sates, Hepatitis B infects an estimated 800,000-1.4 million Americans. Hepatitis B is a vaccine-preventable disease. The Hepatitis B virus is transmitted through direct blood to blood contact, unprotected sex, use of unsterile needles, and from an infected mother to her newborn child, according to the HBI-DC website.

More than half of Americans with chronic Hepatitis B are Asian and Pacific Islanders (API), says the HBI-DC website. So, Asians are disproportionately impacted by the Hepatitis B virus. Most APIs in the United States were infected when they were newborns or young children.

The disease ranges in severity from being a mild ailment lasting a few weeks to a serious, even life threatening, lifelong illness, according to the HBI website. One in four with the infection will come down with liver cancer.

The mission of the Hepatitis B Initiative is providing education, says Pan. Its about educating people, particularly APIs and, more recently, African immigrants about the risks and prevention, she said.

Original post:
Educating People in DC Area on the Silent Killer of Viral Hepatitis