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Immunisation is the first step!
Hepatitis B is the most common infection of the liver and an increasing cause of deaths every year. It is the most common cause of either liver failure or cancer and it is 100 times more infectious than HIV.
Hepatitis B is the most common infection of the liver and an increasing cause of deaths every year. It is the most common cause of either liver failure or cancer and it is 100 times more infectious than HIV.
The good news, though, is that Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection is a preventable disease with immunisation. The process is about 95 percent effective and is recommended for all infants and young children, adolescents and those in high-risk groups.
In most cases, infection occurs without a known cause. Activities that can cause infection include; unsterile injection or piercing equipment, unsafe sex or other activities where the blood of an infected person enters your bloodstream.
The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C is one percent in general population, but if detected it requires aggressive treatment. Those with Hepatitis B acute infection present loss of appetite, weakness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice skin rashes and joint pain.
Chronic hepatitis infection lasts for six months with no sign of symptoms and may present directly with liver failure. The increasing cases of liver cancers are making the doctors look at Hepatitis B and C closely.
In India, most of the infection is from mother to baby. The virus chronically infected in adults is 1-5 percent only. Consequently, every pregnant woman should be tested for hepatitis B antigen.
When they are detected to be positive, they should undergo appropriate testfor the amount of infectivity. Irrespective of the infectivity status a new born baby should receive immunoglobulin along with vaccination within 12 hours of birth.
Awareness of the disease is low in India. While it shows a few symptoms in early stages, people often ignore it and that leads to further development.
Immunisation is mandatory to high risk patients and advisable for every individual who are not previously vaccinated. With the medication, the chances of liver failure and cancer will be significantly decreased. (The writer is Consultant-Medical Gastroenterologist, Aware Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Hyderabad)
By Dr Ravishankar Reddy
