BACKGROUND MEDIA INFORMATION VIRAL HEPATITIS
BACKGROUND MEDIA INFORMATION VIRAL HEPATITIS
BACKGROUND MEDIA INFORMATION VIRAL HEPATITIS
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What are the most common types of hepatitis<br />
Hepatitis A<br />
Hepatitis A is the most common type of viral hepatitis, with an estimated 1.4 million infections<br />
occurring annually. 3 It is present worldwide but is more common in developing countries where<br />
sanitation and hygiene are poor. Most infections occur in early childhood. 2<br />
The virus is spread when food or drink contaminated with the faeces of an infected person is<br />
ingested. The virus usually causes a short term infection (acute) and is rarely serious, although<br />
symptoms can be unpleasant (fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pains or jaundice). 2<br />
Older people suffer more severe symptoms and have a higher risk of death. Jaundice is seen in<br />
more than 70% of older children and adults, compared to only 10% of children under six. 2<br />
Most people recover without complications in a few weeks, or sometimes a couple of months. 2<br />
Key hepatitis B & C facts<br />
About one fifth of patients with chronic hepatitis B and C are at-risk of developing liver-cirrhosis or<br />
liver cancer 4 – one of the top three causes of cancer death in men, and a major cause of death in<br />
women. 2<br />
Most patients are currently undiagnosed. Many people with hepatitis B and C do not know they‟re<br />
infected until the late stages of these diseases, as the symptoms are not obvious for many years.<br />
By this time, many patients have already developed complications and treatment becomes more<br />
difficult and costly.<br />
A European survey suggested that only 21.5% of patients knew they were infected at the<br />
time of diagnosis 5<br />
Sixty-three per cent of patients were unaware that they were at risk 5<br />
Very limited data are available to show how many people are actually infected by either hepatitis B<br />
or C. This is one of the key challenges that experts face in understanding the true scale and<br />
burden of these diseases.<br />
Hepatitis B<br />
Hepatitis B is the most serious type of viral hepatitis and a major global health problem. Infection<br />
can cause chronic liver disease with a high risk of death from cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and<br />
liver cancer. 2<br />
The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 2 billion people are infected worldwide<br />
and 350 million are living with chronic (life-long) infection. 6 The virus is endemic in China and other<br />
parts of Asia where most people become infected during childhood. 2<br />
The hepatitis B virus is 100 times more infectious than HIV and is present in, and usually<br />
transmitted through, bodily fluids such as blood, saliva, semen and vaginal fluid. 7