300 million people unknowingly have hepatitis



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World Hepatitis Day is July 28

By Lauren Glendenning
Presented by Kaiser Permanente

Hepatitis is a medical term that we have all probably heard since our most young age, but you know that 300 million people live with viral hepatitis in the world without even knowing it?

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Although excessive consumption of alcohol, drugs or certain medical conditions can cause hepatitis, it is usually caused by one of five viruses – hepatitis A, B, C, D and E.

Kaiser Permanente doctors promote education and awareness of hepatitis. the spread of this highly preventable disease.
"Everyone should be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B," said Dr. Patricia Dietzgen, family physician in Kaiser Permanente's Frisco medical offices. "You may also receive the type of vaccine if you are exposed to hepatitis B and have not been vaccinated.This may help prevent the progression of the disease."
Although there is no vaccine against hepatitis C, there are many ways to protect yourself and prevent the spread of this dangerous disease.
Viral hepatitis is one of the According to the World Alliance Against Hepatitis, a non-profit organization working to eliminate the disease worldwide, the leading causes of death in the world, which account for 1.34 million deaths annually ,

The A, B, C of Hepatitis

Hepatitis A spreads primarily from one person to another by ingesting fecal matter.According to the centers of control and prevention of diseases, this can occur in contact with objects, food or drinks contaminated by excreta. elements of an infected person. "The risks of getting hepatitis A are higher in people who travel to less-affected countries," said Dietzgen, adding that there is a vaccine available for hepatitis A in two parts.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through the blood, sperm or other body fluids of an infected person enter the body of someone who is n & # 39; Hepatitis C is transmitted when the blood of an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected.

"People can transmit hepatitis A before they have symptoms or that they know that they have the disease.Foods, including fruits, vegetables, water, the Ice and seafood harvested from contaminated water can carry the disease, "said Dietzgen. "Most people are able to fight the disease after a few days, and some may need supportive care such as intravenous or anti-nausea drugs." There are rarely long-term consequences, but it is highly infectious. "

Hepatitis B – which is spread through contact with bodily fluids, open wounds or the blood of an infected person – may be more serious than A. Dietzgen. people are able to fight the disease by themselves within a few months, but about 5 to 10% of people develop chronic hepatitis B.

"This can lead to scarring, hardening of the liver, cirrhosis and decreased of liver function "
" The good news is that there is a very effective vaccine against hepatitis B. "

Hepatitis C is contracted by the needles and is much more serious.If it is not treated, it can lead to chronic liver disease.The CDC reports that about 75 to 85% of people infected with hepatitis C will develop an infection Dietzgen says that anyone born between 1945 and 1965 should undergo at least one lab test to see if she has been exposed to hepatitis C. This generation has the most cases, probably because screening methods blood were not well established then, she said.

Factors and figures for hepatitis:

  • Together, hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C cause 80% of liver cancer cases in the world
  • Hepatitis B and C cause 1.3 million deaths per year.
  • Worldwide, 90% of people living with hepatitis B and 80% living with hepatitis C do not know that they live with the disease
  • Chronic hepatitis B and C are potentially life-threatening infectious diseases
  • More than 300 million people are infected with the hepatitis B virus or the hepatitis C virus.
  • The World Day Against Hepatitis is celebrated every year on July 28, anniversary of Dr. Baruch Blumberg, who discovered the hepatitis B virus in 1967, developed the first hepatitis B vaccine two years later and won the Nobel Prize for these achievements.
  • Viral hepatitis is one of the 10 most deadly infectious diseases with more than a million deaths year f These deaths are mainly due to cirrhosis or liver cancer caused by l? Hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
  • Chronic hepatitis B and chronic hepatitis C cause about 60% of liver cancer cases.
  • Hepatitis A hepatitis B can be prevented by a safe and effective vaccine.
  • There are treatments for hepatitis C that can cure the disease. More than 95% of people with hepatitis C can be completely cured in 2 to 3 months.

Sources: Worldhepatitisday.org; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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