Hepatitis B Diagnoses Up 9.4 Percent In 2016, City Data Shows

SUNSET PARK, BROOKLYN — Reported cases of hepatitis B increased by 9.4 percent last year across New York City, with the highest concentration of the virus reported in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, according to city data.

The newly released data shows that in 2016, 8,439 people were newly diagnosed with hepatitis B, compared to 7,719 who were newly reported with the virus the year before. The city's health department cautioned that this data doesn't necessarily show that the rate of infection has increased.

City officials believe that more people are getting tested for hepatitis than ever before, thanks in part to an informational campaign targeted at New Yorkers born in countries with high rates of the virus. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Sunset Park continued to have the highest reported rate of hepatitis B cases, with 755.7 cases per 100,000 people, dramatically higher than the city's average. For comparison, in 2015 the citywide rate of new hepatitis B cases was 90.9 cases per 100,000 people, according to the most recent data available. Hepatitis B is a sexually transmitted disease that can also be passed through blood. The disease can infect and damage the liver.

"We want all New Yorkers, especially those born in countries with high rates of hepatitis B, to get tested and receive appropriate medical evaluation, and ongoing monitoring and treatment for hepatitis B to prevent serious liver disease and cancer," the health department's Dr. Ann Winters said in a statement. "In addition, testing New Yorkers with current or past risk factors for hepatitis C, including baby boomers and people who use drugs, is critical."

New reports of hepatitis C dipped slightly in 2016 compared to the previous year. The number of new cases of the virus went from 4,171 in 2015 to 3,781 last year. As in previous years, the Chelsea and Clinton neighborhoods in Manhattan showed the highest reported rates of the disease. Unlike hepatitis B, hepatitis C is only transmitted from one person to another via contact with the blood of an infected person. It is frequently passed via syringes and needles.

Nationwide, the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases has increased, according to federal health data. In New York City, STD diagnoses have risen notably. Reported cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis have all reached their highest levels in 30 years, according to a February analysis by the Independent Budget Office.

Lead image credit: Joe Raedle / Staff / Getty Images News.