Better safe than sorry

July 28 is observed as World Hepatitis Day. Here is a brief compendium on the causes,effects and prevention tips on Hepatitis B

A virus that is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV and that kills an estimated 6,00,000 people every year,Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection has become a global health problem. According to a report by World Health Organisation (WHO),about two billion people worldwide have been infected by the virus and in India alone,there are 40 million carriers of the disease. Of the 25 million children that are born in India every year,one million of them run the risk of developing chronic HBV. World Hepatitis Day,observed July 28,aims to raise global awareness about Hepatitis B and C,and encourage prevention,diagnosis and treatment. World Hepatitis Day has been led by the World Hepatitis Alliance since 2007 and,in May 2010,it got global endorsement from the World Health Organisation.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and causes both acute and chronic forms of the disease. The virus can cause acute illness with symptoms that last several weeks,including yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice),dark urine,extreme fatigue,nausea,vomiting and abdominal pain. If the virus remains in the blood for more than six months,a person is then diagnosed as having ‘chronic infection’ or chronic Hepatitis B. People can take several months to a year to recover from the symptoms.

About 25 per cent of adults who become chronically infected during childhood later die from HBV-related liver cancer or cirrhosis,according to Dr Pralhad Patki.