What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a disease that starts with inflammation to the liver and can progress to long term damage to the liver. It is a disease that can be due to viral infections or due to toxins (such as alcohol or drugs).
There are many different types of the Hepatitis virus, including Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Read the table below for more information on these viruses.
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Type of Virus:
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Hepatitis A
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Hepatitis B
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Hepatitis C
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Hepatitis E
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How does it spread?
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Contaminated food/water, contact with infected people (including through sexual activity)
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A mother can spread it to her child in the womb. Also, from contact with blood, saliva, or during sexual activity
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A mother can spread it to her child in the womb. It is mostly spread through contact with infected blood and during sexual activity.
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Contaminated water, and usually the fecal-oral route.
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How severe are the symptoms?
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It does not cause chronic liver disease, but symptoms can be severe enough to cause death.
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Children who get it are more likely to develop chronic liver disease (95% of the time). Adults develop chronic liver disease 5% of the time. Chronic liver disease can lead to liver failure and death.
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About 30% of people have short illnesses that resolve. The other 70% develop chronic liver disease.
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It does not cause chronic liver disease, but symptoms can be severe enough to cause death.
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Is there a vaccine?
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Yes, usually given at 12 months and 18 months of age.
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Yes, it is given within 24 hours after birth, and then at 2 and 6 months of age. You can also get the shots later in life if you never received it.
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Not yet.
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Yes, in China, but it is not fully approved for use everywhere.
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Other facts:
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Good hand hygiene to prevent fecal transmission is very important!
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You can get the Hepatitis D virus as a co-infection with Hepatitis B.
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Antiviral medications are effective for treatment, but access is limited.
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It is most common in East/South Asia but found worldwide.
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What Are Some Symptoms of Hepatitis?
Many infections can start with mild symptoms, and children are less likely to show signs of infection. You may have fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and nausea. As it progresses, you may develop dark colored urine and jaundice. If you are ill, it is best to get checked out by a medical professional, especially if you are becoming weak and not eating or drinking well.
If you develop chronic hepatitis, you can have more severe symptoms that affect many organs in the body, and you can develop a condition called cirrhosis. This can lead to liver failure over time and increase your risk for liver cancer.
Why Do We Care About Hepatitis?
Hepatitis is still causing about 1.3 million deaths a year, and the number of deaths increase each year. There is about one hepatitis death every 30 seconds. Unfortunately, many of the symptoms from hepatitis are not shown until the condition progresses, which can lead to severe health problems. There is also problems with getting access to health care so that these conditions can be diagnosed and treated properly.
What Can We Do To Decrease the Amount of Hepatitis in the World?
- It is recommended that all pregnant women be checked for hepatitis B, and often screening is completed for hepatitis C as well. Based on screening guidelines, ALL adults aged 18 and up should be screened at least once for hepatitis C. Anyone at any age with increased risk for infection with hepatitis B should be screened as well.
- Make sure that you get the recommended vaccines for hepatitis A and B to prevent getting serious infections if you are exposed to these viruses. It is recommended that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine, and it is often given to them right after they are born while they are in the hospital.
- If you are concerned about your exposure, get tested at a medical facility and limit ways that you can spread it to others (see the table above for more ways to prevent the spread).
By knowing more about Hepatitis and ways to prevent transmission, we can educate others around us so that we can decrease the number of deaths from this disease. The WHO organization is working hard to spread the word on this disease, see their website for more details: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hepatitis-day
Feel free to visit the Lone Star Family Health Care Center for more information, testing, and other treatments to keep you and your loved ones happy and healthy!
Dr. Herd is a resident physician who sees patients of all ages and provides obstetrical services at Lone Star Family Health Center, a non-profit 501©3 Federally Qualified Health Center operating facilities in Conroe, Spring, Willis, Grangerland, and Huntsville, and serving as home to a fully integrated Family Medicine Residency Program to increase the number of Family Medicine physicians for Texas and our community.
