July 28: World observes “World Hepatitis Day”

July 29, 2012

World Hepatitis Day is being observed round the globe. The focus is to spread awareness about viral hepatitis, which kills around 1 million people every year. Millions more suffer immediate sickness or long-term ill health.

What is Hepatitis?

Hepatitis as the name suggests is formed from Greek word ‘Hepar’ meaning liver and ‘–itis’ meaning inflammation. It is a medical condition in which there occurs inflammation of liver cells. The complications vary with the type of infection

What are different types of Hepatitis?

There are 5 types of hepatitis – A, B, C, D, and E – each caused by a different hepatitis virus.

What causes Hepatitis?

It is mostly caused by a group of viruses called hepatitis viruses. It can also be caused by toxins like alcohol, drugs, chemicals and other infections and autoimmune diseases.

Hepatitis Type	Causing Virus	Transmission	Complications and Severity
Hepatitis A	HAV	Contaminated food and drinking water, unsafe sexual contact, fecal- oral route	swelling and inflammation in the liver, can be treated to full recovery
Hepatitis B	HBV	Contact with blood, semen or any other body fluid of infected person, unprotected sex, sharing needles and syringes, from pregnant mother to her baby or through breast feeding the baby, through bite from infected person	Serious infection and swelling of liver , may lead to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer
Hepatitis C	HCV	Same as above	Same as above
Hepatitis D	HDV	One can get the disease only if the one is already infected with Hepatitis B, transmission same as above	Swelling of liver
Hepatitis E	HEV	Infected water, oral-anal contact	Swelling to the liver, No long term damage,