Hepatitis B and C are emerging as a new health threats in India. These two types of Hepatitis were known as a ‘silent epidemic’ because the diseases had no symptoms until there was extensive damage to the liver, said Ramesh Hospitals gastroenterologist Nalini Prasad Ippela.
Speaking to The Hindu employees at a screening camp held on the occasion of the World Hepatitis Day on Thursday, he said that a rise in prevalence of Hepatitis C was recorded in this region.
Hepatitis which literally meant inflammation of liver was of five kinds. Viruses that caused Hepatitis A and E were transmitted through contaminated water and food, but types B and C were communicated through blood and body secretions, he said.
He said Hepatitis B and C were primarily caused by blood transfusion with unscreened blood, use of unsterilised injection needles by intravenous drug users and even diabetics.
The symptoms were generally visible only once the infection reached chronic stage. Chronic Hepatitis B and C had the potential to cause severe damage such as liver cirrhosis and cancer, Dr Prasad said.
Though Hepatitis C had become curable the disease continued to claim a lot of lives because of poor awareness. There was no total cure for Hepatitis B, but the virus could be kept in check with medication like in the case of HIV. The best protection against both these diseases was vaccination, he said.
Giving important precautions that one needed to take while getting the vaccine, Dr Prasad said that all three doses should be taken as per schedule.The vaccination would not work even if one dose was missed. The vaccination must be taken on the deltoid muscle of the arm and never on the buttock ( gluteus maximus ), he said.
Ramesh Hospitals conducted a screening camp for employees of The Hindu and administered the first dose of Hepatitis B vaccine at a camp conducted in its office here on Thursday.
Causes for spreading viruses are blood transfusion with unscreened blood, use of unsterilised injection needles
Nalini Prasad Ippela
Ramesh Hospitals gastroenterologist
