World Hepatitis Day 2021: Hepatitis B usually leads to chronic infection. It is crucial to get vaccinated to prevent it.
World Hepatitis Day 2021: Hepatitis B can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer
HIGHLIGHTS
- World hepatitis day is observed on 28 July every year
- Hepatitis Can't Wait is the theme for World hepatitis day 2021
- Almost 240 million people are infected with Hepatitis B worldwide
Hepatitis leads to inflammation in the liver which affects its functioning. The disease is the result of excessive alcohol use, toxins, some medications and certain medical conditions. However, it is often caused by a virus, the most common being hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus.
Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can cause cirrhosis (hardening or scarring), liver cancer and even death. The disease spreads through direct contact with the body fluids - blood, semen of an infected person. Casual contact with people and objects as well as breastfeeding is not responsible for the spread of the virus.
Global statistics as per WHO
An estimated 240 million people are chronically infected with Hepatitis B virus worldwide
India has over 40 million HBV carriers besides a prevalence of 3 - 4.2 % of Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg).
Transmission in newborns
Mother to child infection usually happens at birth (perinatal transmission), or through horizontal transmission (exposure to infected blood), especially from an infected child to an uninfected child during the first 5 years of life.
In adulthood, HBV infection leads to chronic hepatitis in less than 5% of cases, whereas infection in infancy and early childhood leads to chronic hepatitis in about 95% of cases.
HBV in newborns
About nine out of ten pregnant women infected with acute HBV infection are likely to pass the virus to their babies. With chronic infection, the chances of transmission come down to between 1 and 2 in 10 women. Additionally, the baby can get the virus during labor and delivery by being exposed to infected blood and fluids. In babies, HBV infection can be severe and threaten their lives. Even babies who appear to be well may be at risk of serious health problems.
Furthermore, new-borns infected with HBV are at a higher risk of becoming carriers and are at increased risk of dying of serious liver disease or liver cancer as adults. Babies infected with HBV will need ongoing medical care to assess their health and liver function.
Prevention
Vaccination is the mainstay of hepatitis B prevention. As per recommendation by the World Health Organisation (WHO), all infants should receive the hepatitis B vaccine as soon as possible after birth, preferably within 24 hours - followed by two or three doses of hepatitis B vaccine at least four weeks apart to complete the series.
One of the most efficient modes of preventing HBV transmission is from mother to infant during birth. If both HBsAg and HBeAg test positive in the mother, approximately 80%-90 percent of the infants will become affected. To provide complete protection, infants born to moms with hepatitis B must get precise doses of hepatitis B vaccine and hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG). Both of these should be given on the day of the birth, but in different thighs. Medication should be provided soon after birth in the delivery room or within the first 12-24 hours of life to protect newborns
WHO estimates that the proportion of children under five years of age chronically infected with HBV dropped to just under 1% in 2019 as compared to around 5% in the pre-vaccine era during 1980s to the early 2000s.
The last two decades have been a great public health success story with regards to scale-up of hepatitis B vaccine and contributed to the decrease in HBV infections among children.
(Dr. Archana Dhawan Bajaj, Gynaecologist, Obstetrician and IVF expert - Nurture IVF Clinic.)
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. NDTV is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information on this article. All information is provided on an as-is basis. The information, facts or opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of NDTV and NDTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.
DoctorNDTV is the one stop site for all your health needs providing the most credible health information, health news and tips with expert advice on healthy living, diet plans, informative videos etc. You can get the most relevant and accurate info you need about health problems like diabetes, cancer, pregnancy, HIV and AIDS, weight loss and many other lifestyle diseases. We have a panel of over 350 experts who help us develop content by giving their valuable inputs and bringing to us the latest in the world of healthcare.
