G'day Steemians and STEM'ians (guess i could say Steemstem'ians)
Today I feel compelled to write about Viral Hepatitis. Having been lectured very recently on this topic I took intense interest due to the peculiarities of this viral condition to indulge myself in a Self-motivated research to share with you guys.
So feel free to relax, grab a snack, and read through. Thanks
Now To The Real Deal...
What is Viral Hepatitis?
From it's nomenclature, Viral connotes Virus and Hepatitis means Liver Inflammation..so, put together;
Viral hepatitis is liver inflammation due to a viral infection and it may present in acute (recent infection, relatively rapid onset) or chronic forms.
It's worth knowing that Hepatitis may result from various causes, both infectious (ie, viral, bacterial, fungal, and parasitic organisms) and noninfectious (eg, alcohol, drugs, autoimmune diseases, and metabolic diseases); this write-up focuses on viral hepatitis.
Facts
• People generally know very little about viral hepatitis, a disease of the liver caused by 5 different viruses
• The five unrelated hepatotropic viruses are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E.
• It's communicable,mostly spread through contact with bodily fluids, except for types A and E, which spread through food or drink contaminated with feces.
• Hepatitis A and hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccination.
• Effective treatments for hepatitis C are available but expensive.
• More than 5 million Americans are living with viral hepatitis; most do not know they are infected.
• Hepatitis B and C are the leading causes of liver cancer and liver transplants in the United States.
• Viral hepatitis causes approximately 80% of all liver cancer deaths and kill close to 1.4 million people every year – more than either HIV or tuberculosis.
• Most deaths are due to hepatitis B and hepatitis C
• East Asia is the region of the world most affected
A little Peek at the 5 types Of Viral Hepatitis.
• Hepatitis A (HAV)
Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV).
The disease is highly transmissible through the faecal-oral route.
Hepatitis A is often asymptomatic or mild, particularly in children below five years of age, but the severity increases with age.
The case-fatality ratio is low (0.1–0.3%) but might be higher (1.8%) in adults over 50 years of age or persons with underlying chronic liver diseases.
A safe and effective vaccine is available that will prevent HAV infection for up to 10 years, but if you have been naturally infected once, you will have lifelong immunity.
• Hepatitis B (HBV)
Hepatitis B is a liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV)
It's spread through contact with infected body fluids or blood products.
The symptoms can vary greatly and many of those who get infected never develop any symptoms at all.
Those who become chronically infected with HBV are at a higher risk of serious consequences: liver cirrhosis (25%) and cancer (5%) and they may also act as a reservoir for continuing disease transmission.
Safe and effective vaccines are available that offer high levels of protection usually lasting an entire lifetime.
• Hepatitis C (HCV)
Hepatitis C is a liver disease caused by infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV)
It is mainly acquired by contact through broken skin with infectious blood.
Hepatitis C is most often passed on by people who inject drugs by sharing contaminated needles; transmission may also occur through tattooing, body piercing and acupuncture, if these are done in unsterile conditions.
Most people with acute hepatitis C infection do not have any symptoms.
But around 30% of people with chronic hepatitis C develop liver damage and a small number of those go on to get cancer. Hepatitis C is considered to be the leading cause of liver cancer and liver transplants in Europe and the USA.
To date, there is no vaccine available against hepatitis C, however HCV viral levels can be reduced to undetectable levels by a combination of interferon and the antiviral drug ribavirin.
• Hepatitis D (HDV)
The Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is similar to a viroid as it can only propagate in the presence of the hepatitis B virus.
HDV is a defective virus as it depends on the helper function of HBV for its replication and expression.
HDV causes Type D Hepatitis & has no independent existence and can survive and replicate as long as HBV infection persists in the host body.
• Hepatitis E (HEV)
Hepatitis E is an acute or chronic infection with the hepatitis E virus (HEV).
In Europe, most of the infections are locally-acquired and asymptomatic.
Acute infections cause a self-limiting hepatitis, but can become chronic in immuno-compromised patients with the risk of the development of severe liver cirrhosis.
HEV has also been described related to other clinical syndromes e.g. neurological.
In Europe, hepatitis E is mainly a zoonosis with the reservoir in pigs or wild boar. The infection is transmitted through the consumption of contaminated and not properly cooked pork meat or other pork or game products.
A vaccine has been developed but is not licensed in Europe or recommended for use by WHO.
Acute versus Chronic viral hepatitis
For acute hepatitis, symptoms usually appear within several weeks to several months of exposure and can last up to 6 months.
Symptoms of chronic viral hepatitis can take decades to develop and people can live with an infection for years and not feel sick.
When symptoms do appear with chronic hepatitis, they often are a sign of advanced liver disease.
Symptoms for both acute and chronic viral hepatitis can include:
• fever
• fatigue
• loss of appetite
• nausea
• vomiting
• abdominal pain
• dark urine
• grey-colored stools
• joint pain
• jaundice.
Viral Hepatitis is a Leading Global Killer....and a Stealthy one at that!
Viral hepatitis, according to organizers of the World Hepatitis Day, is one of the world’s leading causes of death, accounting for 1.34 million deaths every year – as many as malaria, HIV/AIDS or tuberculosis.
28th July is not a cause for celebration, but a cause for activism, according to the organizers of the annual World Hepatitis Day (WHD). The day aims to raise global awareness of viral hepatitis and to influence change in the way hepatitis is managed and prevented, with the overall aim of eliminating this killer disease.
Viral hepatitis is a global problem and affects people from all countries in the world. And the worst thing is that 90 percent of people living with hepatitis B and 80 percent of those with hepatitis C are unaware they have the condition – meaning they are unknowingly transmitting the disease to others and increasing theirs and others risk of fatal liver disease
Viral hepatitis has become the seventh leading cause of death and disability in the world, killing more people in a year than HIV/AIDs, tuberculosis or malaria, according to the Global Burden of Disease Study
Deaths from infection, liver disease and cancer caused by viral hepatitis increased by nearly two thirds, from 890,000 in 1990 to 1.45 million, according to data collected in 183 countries.
Lack of awareness, at an individual, community and government level, is cited as one of the main reasons for the perpetuating this global burden. Less than 5% of people living with viral hepatitis worldwide are aware of their condition, largely due to the disease being mostly asymptomatic and the lack of routine screening. The result being for many, a missed opportunity to access the highly effective treatment that can stop them succumbing to liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer.
How is hepatitis treated?
• If you think you have hepatitis, you should see a doctor. Many people do not have symptoms, so the only way to know if you have hepatitis is to get tested. Doctors diagnose hepatitis using one or more blood tests, depending on the type of hepatitis.
• Bed rest, abstaining from alcohol, and taking medication to help relieve symptoms. Most people who have hepatitis A and E get well on their own after a few weeks.
• Hepatitis B is treated with drugs, such as lamivudine and adefovir dipivoxil. Hepatitis C is treated with a combination of peginterferon and ribovarin.
• Liver transplant of hepatitis B or C, or D-caused liver failure.
Thankfully, Preventive Measures are available
The best way to protect yourself from Hepatitis A and B is to get vaccinated...so get vaccinated immediately.
I just got mine recently..
• Wash your hands after going to the bathroom and before fixing food or eating.
• Use latex condoms, which may lower the risk of transmission.
• Avoid tap water when traveling to certain countries or regions.
• Don't share drug needles.
• Don't share personal items—such as toothbrushes, razors and nail clippers—with an infected person.
Conclusion: Momentum must keep Building In Eliminating Viral Hepatitis
The field of viral hepatitis is a field in flux. Breakthrough basic science discoveries and the development of new techniques and models have ushered in a new era of research on hepatitis viruses.
''The most important achievements have been the development of the HCV replicon system and the infectious HCV culture system. These technical achievements paved the way for the development of all oral, interferon free anti-HCV therapy, which is now the standard of care.'''-Dr Steve Polyak
Dr Steve Polyak is an Associate Editor for Virology Journal and Research Professor at the University of Washington, USA
In the clinic, hepatitis C is now eminently treatable in the majority of patients with the disease, driven by improvements in drug efficacy that seemed unimaginable only a decade ago.
Public and political awareness of viral hepatitis is also building year-on-year, after spending far too long in the shadow of diseases responsible for similarly severe global disease burdens, such as tuberculosis or AIDS.
However, these welcome notes of optimism have to be heard alongside the sobering reminder that, worldwide, ∼1.4 million people die from viral hepatitis each year, the majority (96%) from hepatitis B and C, with a smaller proportion of deaths from hepatitis A (∼0.8%) and hepatitis E (∼3.3%).
“...global mortality from all forms of viral hepatitis has risen 22% since 2000” -Nature Reviews On Gastroenterology and Hepatology
A Final Note...
Viral Hepatitis is very difficult to catch in time and can be highly contagious.
So it's of great importance to get vaccinated and apply all other preventive measures in order to be safe.
For a person who been exposed to conditions that could result in Viral Hepatitis, it should be stressed that they go for immediate medical checkup to ascertain if they have been infected or not.
If the case is the former, this ensures prompt and effective treatment to get rid of the Virus because early treatment prevents progression of the Condition to its chronic form which can be fatal.
I'll leave a good video and several references below in case you have questions on the subject matter.
References
Wikipedia
Hepmag
WHO
World Hepatitis Alliance
Medlineplus
Image Credits
Image 1
Image 2
Images 3-7 Sources: College of Medicine, University of Ibadan and others
Image 8
Thank you for taking the time to read this write-up. I hope you have a great day.
Please do not forget to leave a comment about what you thought. Thanks very much
