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There are 5 viruses responsible for viral hepatitis, named with the letters A to E. Viruses A and E are responsible for acute self-limiting illnesses and only cause the risk of death when & # 39; they generate an image of acute liver failure called fulminant hepatitis. . These viruses are transmitted by water or contaminated food.
Conversely, hepatitis B and C viruses can cause acute and chronic infections (persistent over time). These viruses are sexually transmitted, through contact with blood or its contaminated products, or vertically (from mother to child at birth). Chronic infection may be asymptomatic at advanced stages of the disease where it manifests itself by complications of cirrhosis (or chronic liver failure) or by the development of liver cancer. When they are not noticed for many years, it is very important for their early detection to perform the blood test for their screening at least once in a lifetime for all people.
Finally, the D virus is a particular form of agent A virus that can flourish in the body only in the presence of the hepatitis B virus. Viral hepatitis affect only the liver? For many years, specialists have believed that viral hepatitis only causes "liver problems"; Recent studies have shown that all hepatitis viruses cause a variety of "extrahepatic manifestations" ranging from problems in the skin, the peripheral or central nervous system, the cardiovascular system, the joints, as well as diseases renal and metabolic disorders. All these conditions compromise not only the health but also the quality of life of those who suffer from it.
Is viral hepatitis a major problem in Argentina? In our country, the predominant chronic hepatitis is hepatitis C, it is estimated that there are 350,000 infected individuals (about 8 per 1,000 inhabitants). The problem is that many patients with this infection do not know it: less than a quarter of patients with chronic hepatitis C are aware of their infection and only 2 out of every 1000 infected have received antiviral treatment at last year.
What viral hepatitis has a specific treatment?
There are currently effective treatments for hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is the first chronic curable viral infection in the history of medicine; With newer antiviral treatments, just take one tablet a day for 8 to 12 weeks to eliminate chronic C virus infection in more than 95% of treated patients. In contrast, although there are many treatments available for hepatitis B, they control the multiplication of the virus in liver cells but can not eliminate it completely.
Future Challenges
The big current challenge of our health system is to eliminate the infection with the hepatitis C virus. The new treatment against the Hepatitis C is very effective and tolerable. They are available in Argentina since March 2016. However, for this treatment to have an impact on the total burden of the disease (number of infections and consequences), it is necessary to increase the number of patients treated. Obvious evidence of this need can be found in the results of a recent study published in an international journal specializing in transplantation (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29485711). The study was conducted by doctors from the Liver Unit of the Rosario Private Hospital: Melisa Dirchwolf and who wrote this note, and counted with the collaboration of researchers from the University Washington, United States and the Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires. Work has shown that cirrhosis due to C virus continues to be an important cause of liver transplantation despite the introduction of these highly effective treatments, which reinforces the need to diagnose and treat more and more people. individuals in the early stages of the disease.
It is recommended that all Argentines undergo a test for hepatitis C at least once in their life. You can ask this study to your family doctor. It is simple and is performed in all types of laboratories.
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