This disease kills more people than AIDS, tuberculosis, or malaria each year
Photo Credits: Washington.edu, FDA.gov
Name
Viral hepatitis
- There are five main types of viral hepatitis, but for this post we are focusing on hepatitis B and hepatitis C
Transmission
- Hepatitis B and C are two highly contagious viral infections that attack the liver
- Hepatitis B: the virus can live outside the body for at least 7 days and is transmitted through contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids
- The virus can also be transmitted sexually and from a mother to a child at birth
- Hepatitis B is 50-100 times more contagious than HIV
- Hepatitis C: the virus lives in the blood and is transmitted through infected blood (unsafe injections/sharing needles, inadequate sterilization of medical equipment, blood transfusions, etc.)
- The virus can live on surfaces outside the body for up to 3 weeks
- Hepatitis C is 10 times more contagious than HIV
Geography
- Hepatitis B: worldwide, but especially prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa and East Asia
- Hepatitis C: worldwide, but especially prevalent in Africa and Central and East Asia
Incubation Period
- Hepatitis B: within 1 to 6 months of infection
- Hepatitis C: within 2 weeks to 6 months of infection
Signs and Symptoms
Hepatitis B
- Most people do not experience symptoms in the initial “acute” phase but some have:
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Vomiting
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Dark urine
- Extreme fatigue
- Liver failure (rare)
- Once it enters the “chronic” phase, people develop chronic liver infection which can become liver cirrhosis or liver cancer
Hepatitis C
- 80% of infected people do not have any symptoms, but occasionally the “acute” phase symptoms include:
- Joint pain
- Fever
- Decreased appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Dark urine
- From the “acute” phase, 75%–85% of people develop “chronic” hepatitis C
Diagnosis
- Laboratory testing of blood samples
- Because most people with hepatitis B and C do not have symptoms in the initial “acute” phase, diagnosis is very difficult
Treatment
Hepatitis B
- There is no specific treatment for the “acute” phase
- At this point the goal is to maintain the patient’s comfort and ensure they have good nutrition and fluid intake
- For the “chronic” phase, treatment includes drugs such as oral antiviral agents to slow down the liver cirrhosis and reduce incidence of liver cancer
Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis C does not always require treatment because some people’s immune system response can get rid of the infection and those who develop the “chronic” infection do not always develop liver damage
- Antiviral drugs are available for patients who need them
Prognosis
Hepatitis B
- For most people, treatment only suppresses the replication of the virus and does not cure the infection so they must continue treatment for the rest of their life
- Children younger than 6 years old are most at risk of developing chronic infections
- 20–30% of adults who are chronically infected will develop cirrhosis and/or liver cancer
Hepatitis C
- The infection can last a lifetime (only 15%–25% of infected people clear the virus from their bodies) and can lead to serious liver problems, including liver cirrhosis and/or liver cancer
- 60–70% of infected people develop chronic liver disease
- 5–20% of infected people develop liver cirrhosis
- 1–5% of infected people die from cirrhosis or liver cancer
Prevention: What Can You Do?
- Hepatitis B: there is a vaccine available to protect yourself and your loved ones and it is 95% effective
- Hepatitis C: there is no vaccine so prevention includes:
- Handwashing and using gloves in healthcare settings
- Ensuring injecting equipment is always sterile
- Testing donated blood for hepatitis C
- Using condoms
Viral Hepatitis In the News
- Hepatitis is on the rise as a global killer
- 20 million Nigerians are infected with hepatitis B – Experts
Sources:
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/
http://www.who.int/hepatitis/en/
