Hepatitis Research Center

JIA-HORNG KAO

      

    Taiwan is an area endemic for hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, nearly 90% of the general population had been infected by the virus and the HBV carrier rate was as high as 15% to 20%, one of the highest in the world. This has resulted in chronic hepatitis cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in HBV carriers. The liver cancer is so common that it has ranked the first among cancer mortality in men and second in women since the early 1980's. In addition, chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis rank the sixth in causes of death. It was estimated that 6-7,000 people died of liver cirrhosis and HCC in 1987. In about half of the Taiwanese chronic HBV carriers, the infection is attributed to perinatal transmission of virus from mothers to infants. To control this serious public health problem in Taiwan, a mass immunization program against hepatitis B was launched on july 1 in 1984, one of the earliest national programs in the world. To reinforce the nationwide control of HBV infection, Hepatitis Research Center (HRC) of the National Taiwan University Hospital (NTUH) was therefore established since October 1 1987.

Hepatitis B aninmal model - woodchuck ( Marmota monax )

Hui-Ling Chen

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