In the United States, HAV cases have decreased by 90 percent in the past 20 years, with roughly 20,000 new cases reported each year, thanks to routine vaccination, according a statement of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Umid Sharapov, a CDC epidemiologist, who led the study, said this was the first study to examine the effectiveness of a two-dose inactivated hepatitis A vaccine in children younger than two years over a 10-year period.

Researchers also investigated whether maternal anti-HAV antibody transfer to children impacts the vaccine protection against HAV. With parental consent, they enrolled full-term healthy infants at six months. Mothers were tested for total antibody to HAV. The 197 infants and toddlers were broken into three age groups: group one – infants aged between six and 12 months; group two – toddlers between 12 and 18 months; and group three -toddlers between 15 and 21 months.

Each group was randomised by maternal anti-HAV status. HAV antibody levels were measured at one and six months, and additional follow-up took place at three, five, seven and 10 years after the second dose of hepatitis A vaccine. At one month following the second dose of the hepatitis A vaccine, children in all groups showed signs of protection from the virus. At the 10-year follow-up, most children retained anti-HAV protection.

Source: IANS

WHO has identified four key actions countries can take to prevent viral hepatitis B and C among people who inject drugs. Of the estimated 16 million people who inject drugs worldwide, it is estimated that 10 million are infected with hepatitis C. An additional 1.2 million are infected with hepatitis B.

Risk from shared syringes and needles

Many drug users are unable to obtain sterile syringes: in some countries it is illegal to distribute or possess syringes for non-medical purposes. The risk of contracting hepatitis and HIV infection occurs when people share syringes and needles. Used injection equipment retains traces of blood. If that blood contains HIV, hepatitis or another type of virus, the next person using the syringe could be infected.

Reducing the risk of HIV and hepatitis infections

A number of countries have established programmes to reduce HIV infections among people who inject drugs.

“Most of the interventions that prevent HIV transmission between people who inject drugs are virtually the same as those for preventing viral hepatitis B and C,” says Dr Gottfried Hirnschall, Director of the WHO Department for HIV/AIDS. “So it makes sense to reduce the risk of both infections by linking viral hepatitis prevention with HIV prevention, care and treatment.”

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Together, hepatitis B and C are the most common cause of cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. Viral hepatitis progresses faster among people living with HIV because their immune systems are weaker, and causes more severe liver-related health problems than it does among people without HIV infection.

WHO recommendations

WHO recommends:

• Implementing and scaling up HIV prevention programmes such as clean needle and syringe programmes and opioid substitution therapy (treatment of opioid dependence with methadone or buprenophine).
• Offering people who inject drugs the rapid hepatitis B vaccination regimen (completed in 3 weeks instead of 6 months), along with incentives to increase uptake and completion of the vaccine schedule. More than 175 countries now include a cheap, safe and effective vaccine against hepatitis B in their national infant immunization schedules. WHO has already recommended countries provide catch-up vaccination for people at increased risk of hepatitis infection, including injection drug users, but this does still not occur systematically at present. There is no vaccine against hepatitis C.
• Using “low dead space” syringes that retain less blood after use reduces the survival of HIV and hepatitis C in the blood that remains in the syringe. This potentially reduces the risk of transmission if injecting equipment is shared.
• Involving drug users in hepatitis prevention programmes to maximize their impact.

Public health approach

“Countries that have adopted a public health approach to injecting drug use and HIV have been the most successful in turning round their HIV epidemics. We need to do the same for hepatitis,” says Dr Ying-Ru Lo of the HIV Department at WHO.

The new evidence-based guidelines are designed for use by national public health officials, managers of HIV, drug dependence and harm reduction programmes, civil society and health workers in low- and middle-income countries. They are intended to be tailored and implemented according to local situations and needs.

Under the World Hepatitis Day theme “It’s closer than you think”, WHO is urging governments to strengthen efforts to fight viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that kills about one million people every year. In addition, an estimated 500 million people experience chronic illness from their infection with hepatitis; it is a major cause of liver cancer and liver cirrhosis.

“The vast majority of people infected with hepatitis are unaware, undiagnosed and untreated,” says Dr Sylvie Briand of WHO’s Pandemic and Epidemic Disease Department. “Only by increasing awareness of the different forms of hepatitis, and how they can be prevented and treated, can we take the first step towards full control of the disease and save thousands of lives.”

Types of hepatitis

There are five hepatitis viruses defined by types – type A, B, C, D and E. Types B and C are of significant concern since a high proportion of people infected with these viruses may not experience symptoms at the early stage of the disease, and only become aware of their infection when they are chronically ill. This can sometimes be decades after infection. In addition, these two viruses are the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer,accounting for almost 80% of all liver cancer cases.

People can get hepatitis from either infected bodily fluids or contaminated food and water depending on the type of hepatitis.

• Types B, C and D are contracted through the blood of an infected person (e.g. through unsafe injections or unscreened blood transfusions) and in the case of hepatitis B and C, also through unprotected sex.
• Type D only infects persons who are already infected with type B.
• Types A and E are typically transmitted via contaminated water or food and closely associated with poor sanitation and poor personal hygiene (e.g. unwashed hands).

Effective vaccines are available for all the virus types, except C.

Given the scale of the epidemic – with 1 in 12 people infected – and recent advances in prevention and treatment, the World Health Assembly in 2010 designated 28 July as World Hepatitis Day. The Day serves to promote greater understanding of hepatitis as a global public health problem and to stimulate the strengthening of preventive and control measures against infection in countries throughout the world.

New framework

In preparation for this year’s World Hepatitis Day, WHO is launching a new global framework to tackle the disease. The Prevention and control of viral hepatitis infection: Framework for global action describes four areas of work to prevent and treat hepatitis infection.

Raising awareness, together with promoting partnerships and mobilizing resources constitute the first of the four priorities in WHO’s new framework. The others are: transforming scientific evidence into policy and action; preventing transmission; and screening, care and treatment.

WHO will work with its Member States and partners on all four priority areas of the framework to help expand access to prevention, care and treatment programmes to people who need it. The framework will guide the development of regional and country-specific strategies to combat hepatitis.

Source: WHO

Who should get hepatitis A vaccine and when?

 WHO?

Some people should be routinely vaccinated with hepatitis A vaccine:

• All children between their first and second birthdays (12 through 23 months of age).
•  Anyone 1 year of age and older traveling to or working  in countries with high or intermediate prevalence of  hepatitis A, such as those located in Central or South America, Mexico, Asia (except Japan), Africa, and  eastern Europe.
• Children and adolescents 2 through 18 years of age  who live in states or communities where routine  vaccination has been implemented because of high  disease incidence.
• Men who have sex with men.
• People who use street drugs.
• People with chronic liver disease.
• People who are treated with clotting factor concentrates.
• People who work with HAV-infected primates or who   work with HAV in research laboratories.
• Members of households planning to adopt a child, or care for a newly arriving adopted child, from a country where hepatitis A is common.

Other people might get hepatitis A vaccine in certain situations (ask your doctor for more details):

• Unvaccinated children or adolescents in communities where outbreaks of hepatitis A are occurring.
• Unvaccinated people who have been exposed to hepatitis A virus.
• Anyone 1 year of age or older who wants protection from hepatitis A.
• Hepatitis A vaccine is not licensed for children younger than 1 year of age.

 WHEN?

• For children, the first dose should be given at 12 through 23 months of age. Children who are not vacci­nated by 2 years of age can be vaccinated at later visits.
• For others at risk, the hepatitis A vaccine series may be started whenever a person wishes to be protected or is at risk of infection.
• For travelers, it is best to start the vaccine series at least one month before traveling.(Some protection may still result if the vaccine is given on or closer to the travel date.)
• Two doses of the vaccine are needed for lasting protection. These doses should be given at least 6 months apart.
• Hepatitis A vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

Who should not get hepatitis A vaccine or should wait.

• Anyone who has ever had a severe (life threatening)  allergic reaction to a previous dose of hepatitis A  vaccine should not get another dose.
• Anyone who has a severe (life threatening) allergy to  any vaccine component should not get the vaccine.
• Tell your doctor if you have any severe allergies,  including a severe allergy to latex. All hepatitis A vaccines contain alum, and some hepatitis A vaccines  contain 2-phenoxyethanol.
• Anyone who is moderately or severely ill at the time the shot is scheduled should probably wait until they recover. Ask your doctor. People with a mild illness can usually get the vaccine.
• Tell your doctor if you are pregnant. Because hepatitis A vaccine is inactivated (killed), the risk to a pregnant woman or her unborn baby is believed to be very low.

But your doctor can weigh any theoretical risk from the vaccine against the need for protection.

What are the risks from hepatitis A vaccine?

A vaccine, like any medicine, could possibly cause  serious problems, such as severe allergic reactions. The  risk of hepatitis A vaccine causing serious harm, or  death, is extremely small.

Getting hepatitis A vaccine is much safer than getting the disease.

Mild problems

• Soreness where the shot was given (about 1 out of 2 adults and up to 1 out of 6 children)
• Headache (about 1 out of 6 adults and 1 out of 25 children) 
• Loss of appetite (about 1 out of 12 children)
•  Tiredness (about 1 out of 14 adults)

If these problems occur, they usually last 1 or 2 days.

Severe problems

• Serious allergic reaction, within a few minutes to a few  hours after the shot (very rare).

What if there is a moderate or severe reaction?

What should I look for?

• Any unusual condition, such as a high fever or  unusual behavior. Signs of a serious allergic reaction  can include difficulty breathing, hoarseness or  wheezing, hives, paleness, weakness, a fast heart beat  or dizziness.

What should I do?

• Call a doctor, or get the person to a doctor right away.

• Tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it  happened, and when the vaccination was given.

• Ask your doctor, nurse, or health department to report the reaction by filing a Vaccine Adverse Event

Hepatitis B vaccine: Why get vaccinated?

Hepatitis B vaccine can prevent hepatitis B, and the serious consequences of hepatitis B infection, including liver cancer and cirrhosis.

Hepatitis B vaccine may be given by itself or in the same shot with other vaccines.

Routine hepatitis B vaccination was recommended for some U.S. adults and children beginning in 1982, and for all children in 1991. Since 1990, new hepatitis B infections among children and adolescents have dropped by more than 95% – and by 75% in other age groups. Vaccination gives long-term protection from hepatitis B infection, possibly lifelong

Who should get hepatitis B vaccine and when?

Children and Adolescents

Babies normally get 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine:

1st Dose:         Birth

2nd Dose:       1-2 months of age

3rd Dose:        6-18 months of age

Some babies might get 4 doses, for example, if a combination vaccine containing hepatitis B is used. (This is a single shot containing several vaccines.) The extra dose is not harmful.

• Anyone through 18 years of age who didn’t get the vaccine when they were younger should also be vaccinated.

Adults

•All unvaccinated adults at risk for hepatitis B infection should be vaccinated.

This includes:

-                        Sex partners of people infected with hepatitis B,

-                        Men who have sex with men,

-                        People who inject street drugs,

-                        People with more than one sex partner,

-                        People with chronic liver or kidney disease,

-                        People under 60 years of age with diabetes,

-                        People with jobs that expose them to human blood or other body fluids.

-                        Household contacts of people infected with hepatitis B,

-                        Residents and staff in institutions for the developmentally disabled,

-                        Kidney dialysis patients,

-                        People who travel to countries where hepatitis B is common,

-                        People with HIV infection.

-                        Other people may be encouraged by their doctor to get hepatitis B vaccine; for example, adults 60 and older with diabetes. Anyone else who wants to be protected from hepatitis B infection may get the vaccine.

-                         Pregnant women who are at risk for one of the reasons stated above should be vaccinated. Other pregnant women who want protection may be vaccinated.

-                        Adults getting hepatitis B vaccine should get 3 doses —with the second dose given 4 weeks after the first and the third dose 5 months after the second. Your doctor can tell you about other dosing schedules that might be used in certain circumstances.

Who should not get hepatitis B vaccine?

•           Anyone with a life-threatening allergy to yeast, or to any other component of the vaccine, should not get hepatitis B vaccine. Tell your doctor if you have any severe allergies.

•           Anyone who has had a life-threatening allergic reaction to a previous dose of hepatitis B vaccine should not get another dose.

•           Anyone who is moderately or severely ill when a dose of vaccine is scheduled should probably wait until they recover before getting the vaccine.

Your doctor can give you more information about these precautions.

Note: You might be asked to wait 28 days before donating blood after getting hepatitis B vaccine. This is because the screening test could mistake vaccine in the bloodstream (which is not infectious) for hepatitis B infection.

Hepatitis C vaccine

 Although vaccines exist for hepatitis A and hepatitis B, development of a hepatitis C vaccine has presented challenges. No vaccine is currently available, but several vaccines are currently under development.

 Source: WHO

Q: What is hepatitis?

A: Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. There are five main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. These five types are of greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death they cause and the potential for outbreaks and epidemic spread. In particular, types B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and, together, are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer.

Hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of parenteral contact with infected body fluids. Common modes of transmission for these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for hepatitis B transmission from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.

Acute infection may occur with limited or no symptoms, or may include symptoms such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Q: What are the different hepatitis viruses?

A: Scientists have identified five unique hepatitis viruses, identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E. While all cause liver disease, they vary in important ways.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is present in the faeces of infected persons and is most often transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food. Certain sex practices can also spread HAV. Infections are in many cases mild, with most people making a full recovery and remaining immune from further HAV infections. However, HAV infections can also be severe and life threatening. Most people in areas of the world with poor sanitation have been infected with this virus. Safe and effective vaccines are available to prevent HAV.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted through exposure to infective blood, semen, and other body fluids. HBV can be transmitted from infected mothers to infants at the time of birth or from family member to infant in early childhood. Transmission may also occur through transfusions of HBV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. HBV also poses a risk to healthcare workers who sustain accidental needle stick injuries while caring for infected-HBV patients. A safe and effective vaccine is available to prevent HBV.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is mostly also transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This may happen through transfusions of HCV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common. There is no vaccine for HCV.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections occur only in those who are infected with HBV. The dual infection of HDV and HBV can result in a more serious disease and worse outcome. Safe and effective hepatitis B vaccines provide protection from HDV infection.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), like HAV, is transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food. HEV is a common cause of hepatitis outbreaks in developing parts of the world and is increasingly recognized as an important cause of disease in developed countries. Safe and effective vaccines to prevent HEV infection have been developed but are not widely available.

What is World Hepatitis Day?

At its 2010 meeting, the World Health Assembly resolved that July 28 should be designated as World Hepatitis Day. World Hepatitis Day is an opportunity for education and greater understanding of viral hepatitis as a global public health problem, and to stimulate the strengthening of preventive and control measures of this disease by nations around the world.

Why is it needed?

Hepatitis is one of the most prevalent and serious infectious conditions in the world, but many people – including health policy makers – remain unaware of its staggering toll on global health.

What makes hepatitis a global health problem?

About 1 million deaths per year are attributed to viral hepatitis infections. Together, hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) are the leading cause of liver cancer in the world, accounting for 78 percent of cases.

Nearly one out of every three people in the world (approximately 2 billion people) has been infected by HBV, and one in twelve live with chronic HBV or HCV infection. While most people who have been infected with these viruses are unaware of their infection, they face the possibility of developing debilitating or fatal liver disease at some point in their lives and unknowingly transmitting the infection to others.

HBV/HIV and HCV/HIV coinfections are an increasing problem in countries with HIV epidemics and among injecting drug users. For co-infected persons being treated with HIV antiretroviral medicines, underlying viral hepatitis is becoming a major cause of death.

What are the different hepatitis viruses?

Scientists have identified five unique hepatitis viruses, identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E. While all cause liver disease, they vary in important ways.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is present in the faeces of infected persons and is most often transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food. Certain sex practices can also spread HAV. Infections are in many cases mild, with most people making a full recovery and remaining immune from further HAV infections. However, HAV infections can also be severe and life threatening. Most people in areas of the world with poor sanitation have been infected with this virus. Safe and effective vaccines are available to prevent HAV.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted through exposure to infective blood, semen, and other body fluids. HBV can be transmitted from infected mothers to infants at the time of birth or from family member to infant in early childhood¹. Transmission may also occur through transfusions of HBV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. HBV also poses a risk to healthcare workers who sustain accidental needle stick injuries while caring for infected-HBV patients. A safe and effective vaccine is available to prevent HBV.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is mostly also transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This may happen through transfusions of HCV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common. There is no vaccine for HCV.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections occur only in those who are infected with HBV. The dual infection of HDV and HBV can result in a more serious disease and worse outcome. Safe and effective hepatitis B vaccines provide protection from HDV infection.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), like HAV, is transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food. HEV is a common cause of hepatitis outbreaks in developing parts of the world and is increasingly recognized as an important cause of disease in developed countries. Safe and effective vaccines to prevent HEV infection have been developed but are not widely available.

Why is it important for people to know if they are infected with a form of viral hepatitis?

Early diagnosis provides the best opportunity for effective medical support. It also allows those infected to take steps to prevent transmission of the disease to others, for example by adopting safe sex practices. It allows lifestyle precautions to be undertaken to protect the liver from additional harm, specifically, by eliminating alcohol and certain drugs which are toxic to the liver.

How can viral hepatitis be prevented?

• Safe and effective vaccines are widely available for the prevention of HAV and HBV infection.
• Screening blood used for transfusion can prevent transmission of HBV and HCV.
• Sterile injection equipment protects against HBV and HCV transmission.
• Safer sex practices, including minimizing the number of partners and using barrier (condom) protective measures has been shown to protect against HBV and HCV transmission.
• Harm reduction for injection drug users prevents HBV and HCV transmission.
• Safe food and water provide the best protections against HAV and HEV.

How is viral hepatitis treated?

Antiviral agents active against HBV exist. Treatment of HBV infection has been shown to reduce the risk of liver cancer and death. It is estimated that 20–30% of persons with HBV infection could benefit from treatment. However, drugs active against HBV are not widely available or utilized in persons infected with HBV. Currently recommended antiviral agents used for treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection do not adequately suppress HBV, which is of great concern for the estimated 10% of the HIV-infected persons in Africa who are co-infected with HBV.

HCV is generally considered to be a curable disease but for many persons this is not a reality. Scientific advances and intense research and development have led to the development of many new oral antiviral drugs for HCV infection. A great number of HCV specific oral drugs are in the late stage of development; some have been recently registered. These are more effective and better tolerated. Much still needs to be done to ensure that these new treatment advances lead to greater access and treatment responses in resource constrained areas of the world.

What is WHO doing to support the fight against viral hepatitis?

WHO has worked closely with Member States to achieve some very notable achievements in hepatitis prevention. In 2009, over 91% of Member States now include the hepatitis B vaccine in their infant immunization programs and over 70% of infants received 3 doses of this vaccine which provides them with life-long protection from this one virus.

WHO is assisting countries in ensuring the safety, availability, and quality of blood and blood products.

Policy guidance and guidelines on best practices are available for all injections including phlebotomy and lancet procedures. They enable countries to establish safe injection and phlebotomy services, train health care workers on best injection and phlebotomy practices and ensure that patients and health workers are safe when receiving or giving an injection or a phlebotomy.

More needs to be done to prevent and control viral hepatitis. We must ensure that those already infected with viral hepatitis have timely access to testing, care and effective treatments to delay development of disease and prevent disability.

WHO is working in the following areas:

• raising awareness, promoting partnerships and mobilizing resources
• evidence-based policy and data for action
• prevention of transmission
• screening, care and treatment.

To accomplish this mandate, WHO will take a health systems approach, including developing new approaches at WHO and mobilizing much needed resources.

WHO will work in close collaboration with all our partners to prevent and control viral hepatitis.

Source: WHO

The world statistic for hepatitis is shocking. 1.4 million people suffer from hepatitis A. 2 billion people suffer from Hepatitis B while 150 million people are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus.

So what really is Hepatitis? Lets find out:

A: Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. There are five main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. These five types are of greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death they cause and the potential for outbreaks and epidemic spread. In particular, types B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and, together, are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer.

Hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of parenteral contact with infected body fluids. Common modes of transmission for these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for hepatitis B transmission from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.

Acute infection may occur with limited or no symptoms, or may include symptoms such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Q: What are the different hepatitis viruses?

A: Scientists have identified five unique hepatitis viruses, identified by the letters A, B, C, D, and E. While all cause liver disease, they vary in important ways.

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is present in the faeces of infected persons and is most often transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food. Certain sex practices can also spread HAV. Infections are in many cases mild, with most people making a full recovery and remaining immune from further HAV infections. However, HAV infections can also be severe and life threatening. Most people in areas of the world with poor sanitation have been infected with this virus. Safe and effective vaccines are available to prevent HAV.

 Click here to read more about Hepatitis A.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is transmitted through exposure to infective blood, semen, and other body fluids. HBV can be transmitted from infected mothers to infants at the time of birth or from family member to infant in early childhood. Transmission may also occur through transfusions of HBV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. HBV also poses a risk to healthcare workers who sustain accidental needle stick injuries while caring for infected-HBV patients. A safe and effective vaccine is available to prevent HBV.

  Click here to read more about Hepatitis B.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is mostly also transmitted through exposure to infective blood. This may happen through transfusions of HCV-contaminated blood and blood products, contaminated injections during medical procedures, and through injection drug use. Sexual transmission is also possible, but is much less common. There is no vaccine for HCV.

 Click here to read more about Hepatitis C.

Hepatitis D virus (HDV) infections occur only in those who are infected with HBV. The dual infection of HDV and HBV can result in a more serious disease and worse outcome. Safe and effective hepatitis B vaccines provide protection from HDV infection.

Hepatitis E virus (HEV), like HAV, is transmitted through consumption of contaminated water or food. HEV is a common cause of hepatitis outbreaks in developing parts of the world and is increasingly recognized as an important cause of disease in developed countries. Safe and effective vaccines to prevent HEV infection have been developed but are not widely available. 

Click here to read more about Hepatitis E.

 Source: WHO

Q: How do you get hepatitis B? How can I protect myself?

A: Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The virus interferes with the functions of the liver and activates the immune system, which produces a specific reaction to combat the virus. As a consequence of pathological damage, the liver becomes inflamed. A small percentage of infected people cannot get rid of the virus and become chronically infected – these people are at high risk of death from cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.

Hepatitis B virus is transmitted by contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person – the same way as the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). However, HBV is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV.

The main ways of getting infected with HBV are:

• Perinatal (from mother to baby at the birth)
• Child-to-child transmission
• Unsafe injections and transfusions
• Sexual contact.

Worldwide, most infections occur from mother-to-child, from child-to-child (especially in household settings), and from reuse of unsterilized needles and syringes. Before the widespread use of the hepatitis B vaccine, almost all children in developing countries used to become infected with the virus.

You can protect yourself against hepatitis B by being vaccinated. The hepatitis B vaccine has an outstanding record of safety and effectiveness, and since 1982, over one billion doses have been used worldwide. The vaccine is 95% effective in preventing chronic infections from developing. Protection lasts for 20 years at least, no booster is recommended by WHO as of today.

 Content courtesy : WHO

July 28 is World Hepatitis Day.

World Hepatitis Day is an annual event that each year provides international focus for patient groups and people living with hepatitis B and C. It is an opportunity around which interested groups can raise awareness and influence real change in disease prevention and access to testing and treatment. 

Visuals for the video have been based on the metaphor of a falling piano, highlighting
that around the world hepatitis is being ignored, playing with the slogan for World Hepatitis Day 2012 ‘It’s closer than you think’ and encouraging everyone to confront it!

Video Courtesy: World Hepatitis Alliance

Viral hepatitis may be the reason for over five million people are likely to lose life over the viral hepatitis in Southeast Asia region in the next decade. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared that viral hepatitis the inflammatory disease of the liver affects 100 million with chronic hepatitis B infection in the region. “WHO estimates that more than five million people in the Southeast Asia region will die from the consequences of viral hepatitis in the next 10 years. There are an estimated 30 million people with chronic hepatitis C infection in the region,” WHO said.

While the UN health agency is focusing on increasing awareness about the disease, it is also aiming at increasing surveillance and resources. “Viral hepatitis must be given greater priority in terms of both resources and effort. Good surveillance is essential,” said Samlee Plianbangchang. “Infant immunisation coverage for hepatitis B must reach levels greater than 95 percent. It should be mandatory for all blood and blood products to be screened for hepatitis B and C,” Plianbangchang added. The most common causes of the viral infection are hepatitis virus A, B, C and E. The infection can cause acute illness with symptoms such as nausea, dark urine, vomiting and abdominal pain. “About 65 percent of those with hepatitis B and 75 percent of those with hepatitis C do not know they are infected. An effective vaccine has been available to prevent hepatitis B since 1982,” the WHO said.

 The UN health agency added that it is developing a strategy to prevent and control viral hepatitis in the region.  WHO is bringing health experts from 11 countries that will help finalise the strategy addressing areas of policy, planning and resource mobilisation, surveillance, prevention and control, education, medical care and treatment and research. “The quality of hepatitis testing in public and private laboratories needs to be monitored. We need widespread public awareness campaigns, targeted at health and social workers as well as the general public, to increase awareness about the risk of viral hepatitis,” Plianbangchang said.

Source: IANS

1.     Common cold, cough and viral fever:

One of the biggest causes of major absenteeism in the monsoons – the common cold – is common due to the fact that viruses thrive better in humid conditions. Staying in wet clothes for a long time, prolonged exposure to the humid air from the air-conditioners can increase your chances of catching a cold. 

So, don’t stay wet for long. Keep a pair of fresh clothes in your office locker. Turn down the ACs and open the windows.

Being viral in origin, the common cold spreads really  fast through contact. So, remember to wash your hands often. Prevent contact with people who have the cold as much as possible.

Boost your immunity by eating fresh fruits and veggies. Keep yourself well hydrated with fresh juice, soups, green tea and lukewarm water.

2. Malaria:

One of the common and deadly diseases caused by certain species of mosquitoes breeding in the dirty water in the monsoons, Malaria is characterized by fever, body ache, chills and sweating.  If untreated, it can lead to severe complications like jaundice, severe anemia, liver and kidney failure.

To prevent the disease,

• Make sure that there is no stagnant water in your neighbourhood. These act as ideal breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
• If you store water in the house due to its shortage, close the container.
• Use mosquito screens, nets, fibre glass meshes or magnetic insect repellent screens for your windows if you live in a mosquito-infested area.
• If possible, avoid going out immediately after dusk. If you need to, wear clothes that cover your body well. Cover the exposed parts with a mosquito repellent.
• Indoor residual spraying with an insecticide is also recommended.
• Insecticide treated bed nets should be used in areas where mosquitos and malaria are rampant.
• If travelling to a malaria-endemic area, consult your doctor and discuss chemoprophylaxis before you travel..

3. Typhoid:

Prolonged fever lasting for more than five days, headache and abdominal pain followed by a rash in the second week might be indicative of typhoid. This disease is mostly spread via contaminated food and water. 

If you want to avoid typhoid, avoid eating outside food as much as possible. Stick to homemade food and boiled water. If you live in an area where typhoid is very common, get yourself vaccinated against it.

4. Hepatitis A (commonly called jaundice):

A viral disease spread through contaminated food and water, Hepatitis A is characterized by symptoms similar to the flu – an increase in body temperature with body ache, joint pains followed by loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting. This may be followed by a yellowish tinge in the eyes, skin and nails. Within a week, you might notice dark-coloured urine.

Again, eating homemade food and clean water can prevent most cases of hepatitis A. These days, vaccinations to prevent the disease are also available.

5. Leptospirosis:

A bacterial disease spread by rats, it is mostly caused by contaminated food or by wading in dirty water, especially if you have injuries on the skin.

High fever and chills with severe headaches and bodyache, followed by nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain characterize the disease.  

You can prevent Leptospirosis by not exposing your feet to dirty, stagnant rainwater. If you have any injuries, cover them well.

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