Guarding the liver against infections is necessary to prevent Hepatitis – a group of viral infections that can lead to liver failure - and liver cancer in extreme cases. According to the World Health Organization, Viral Hepatitis kills 1.5 million people worldwide each year. Despite being the world’s 8th biggest killer, Viral Hepatitis is remarkably neglected. Among the most dangerous of Hepatitis infections is Hepatitis B, which is caused by a group of viruses that attack the liver, leading to its inflammation and malfunctioning. However, there is a vaccination for this deadly disease. Hepatitis B and C infections are transmitted through infected blood or infected fluid. They can lie dormant in the body for a long time before suddenly cropping up. This is why many experts refer to these two viral Hepatitis strains as ‘silent killers’. “There is a lack of awareness among people regarding Hepatitis. The awareness levels on the routes and consequences, and the fact that vaccinations are available to prevent some of the most dangerous strains, is extremely low. We need to strengthen the prevention, screening and control of Viral Hepatitis and its related diseases. We also have to urgently increase Hepatitis B vaccine coverage and integrate this vaccine into the national immunization programs,” said Dr. Satish Koul of Columbia Asia Hospital. People who experience jaundice like symptoms, like nausea, fever, abdominal pain, dark urine and fatigue must not delay in visiting a doctor,” he added. Doctors say that it is also time to focus more on prevention, through better sanitation, clean drinking water and vaccination. India is one of the world’s biggest hotbeds of Hepatitis A and E infections, which spread through contaminated food and water.
There are five different Hepatitis viruses - Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. Most of these cause short term, or ‘acute’, infection. However, Hepatitis B, C and D viruses can also cause long-term infection, called ‘chronic’ Hepatitis, which can lead to life-threatening complications such as cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer.
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