BACKGROUND MEDIA INFORMATION VIRAL HEPATITIS

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What are the most common types of hepatitis Hepatitis A Hepatitis A is the most common type of viral hepatitis, with an estimated 1.4 million infections occurring annually. 3 It is present worldwide but is more common in developing countries where sanitation and hygiene are poor. Most infections occur in early childhood. 2 The virus is spread when food or drink contaminated with the faeces of an infected person is ingested. The virus usually causes a short term infection (acute) and is rarely serious, although symptoms can be unpleasant (fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pains or jaundice). 2 Older people suffer more severe symptoms and have a higher risk of death. Jaundice is seen in more than 70% of older children and adults, compared to only 10% of children under six. 2 Most people recover without complications in a few weeks, or sometimes a couple of months. 2 Key hepatitis B & C facts About one fifth of patients with chronic hepatitis B and C are at-risk of developing liver-cirrhosis or liver cancer 4 – one of the top three causes of cancer death in men, and a major cause of death in women. 2 Most patients are currently undiagnosed. Many people with hepatitis B and C do not know they‟re infected until the late stages of these diseases, as the symptoms are not obvious for many years. By this time, many patients have already developed complications and treatment becomes more difficult and costly. A European survey suggested that only 21.5% of patients knew they were infected at the time of diagnosis 5 Sixty-three per cent of patients were unaware that they were at risk 5 Very limited data are available to show how many people are actually infected by either hepatitis B or C. This is one of the key challenges that experts face in understanding the true scale and burden of these diseases. Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is the most serious type of viral hepatitis and a major global health problem. Infection can cause chronic liver disease with a high risk of death from cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. 2 The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 2 billion people are infected worldwide and 350 million are living with chronic (life-long) infection. 6 The virus is endemic in China and other parts of Asia where most people become infected during childhood. 2 The hepatitis B virus is 100 times more infectious than HIV and is present in, and usually transmitted through, bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, semen and vaginal fluid. 7
Infection with the hepatitis B virus can cause an acute illness that resolves itself quickly without causing long-term liver damage. However, hepatitis B causes long-term (chronic) illness in 90% of infected infants and five to 10% of adults. 7 Approximately 25% of those with a chronic infection will later die from liver cancer, liver disease or cirrhosis. 2 Hepatitis C Worldwide, approximately 170 million people are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus and the WHO estimates that 3-4 million people are newly infected each year. 3 Hepatitis C virus is present in the blood and, to a much lesser extent, the saliva, semen or vaginal fluid of an infected person. As such, it is most commonly spread through direct contact with infected blood. 3 Hepatitis C is regarded as a silent killer because patients often experience no symptoms for years. Frequently, when symptoms do present themselves, they are commonly mistaken for signs of cold or „flu. The course of hepatitis C is unpredictable: about one in five people eliminate the infection while others may develop mild to moderate liver damage. 8 Alcohol consumption and co-infection with the HIV virus are known to accelerate liver damage. 9 Hepatitis C infection can be categorised into two stages – firstly an acute stage (following initial infection, sometimes with no symptoms) and secondly a chronic stage. Approximately 20% of people will naturally clear the virus from their body and experience no long-term effects. However, for the remaining 80%, a chronic (long-term) infection will develop. Confusingly, there seems to be no clear relationship between the degree of liver damage and the experience of symptoms. 10 What are the rarer types of hepatitis Hepatitis D The hepatitis D virus can only survive within the body if hepatitis B virus is also present, and so only affects those who are also infected with hepatitis B. 2 The combination of hepatitis viruses D and B can be more serious than the B virus alone and is more likely to cause chronic hepatitis and cirrhosis. 4 Vaccination against hepatitis B virus will prevent hepatitis D infection. 11 Hepatitis E Hepatitis E is generally a mild and acute (short-term) infection. Person-to-person transmission is rare and the virus is most commonly spread by the consumption of food or drink infected with faeces contaminated with the virus. 2 How is viral hepatitis diagnosed Diagnosis of viral hepatitis is based on symptoms and blood tests that detect liver enzymes, virus particles, or antibodies against viral components. 1
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BACKGROUND MEDIA INFORMATION VIRAL HEPATITIS

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