- According to the World Health Organization, there are five types of hepatitis (A, B, C, D, and E) that kill one million people each year.
- In Mexico, it is estimated that 7 in 10 people will be infected with hepatitis at some point in their lives.
- Most patients never know their health status because they don’t have regular health checkups and the disease doesn’t show symptoms in its early stages.
In order to deal with different types of Hepatitis (Types A, B, C, D, and E) Prevention is important, but so is the development of a vaccine. It must not be underestimated, nor is it a minor problem, as it is currently the seventh leading cause of death worldwide. In addition, there are no clear numbers on those who are infected, as millions of people have suffered from the disease over the years without knowing it due to mild symptoms.
As far as she is concerned, World Health Organization (WHO) One of its goals is to eradicate the disease by 2030, although some experts believe that goal is unlikely to be achieved.
In this regard, only annual registration More than one million people die from hepatitis. It is estimated that a new infection is recorded every 10 seconds. Of the five main types, the ones causing the most concern are types B and C, which are transmitted through blood. Together, they are the most common cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer.
Hepatitis B and C
Now Dr. William CareyCurrent Interim Chief of the Department of Hepatology cleveland clinic Remember, vaccines for hepatitis A and B are already available. It also recommends that all people be screened for hepatitis C infection at least once in their lifetime.
“In terms of similarities, both type B and C viruses are cryptic, which means that most of the time they are infected without symptoms. This is especially true for hepatitis C. In a small proportion of hepatitis B cases, there may be relatively mild symptoms, such as fatigue.”
developed a vaccine
From the perspective of differences, the differences are still relatively large.Vaccines have been developed to prevent Hepatitis B But no one has been able to resist the C virus yet. However, patients with type C virus can be cured through drug treatment; on the other hand, although type B remains in the human body forever, it can only be suppressed.
In this case, suppression was enough to prevent further liver damage or transmission to others, but because the virus lay dormant in liver cells, it could reactivate under certain conditions.
“The vast majority of hepatitis B infection occurs at birth and is transmitted from mother to child. Fortunately, most countries now have programs to identify pregnant women infected with hepatitis B, as well as highly effective immunization strategies to prevent mother-to-child transmission.” Virus Mothers with very high loads will receive drugs to lower their viral load, which further reduces the chances of the baby becoming infected.”
All in all, meeting the World Health Organization’s 2030 targets requires a three-pronged strategy for hepatitis B: vaccination, interruption of mother-to-child transmission and, for those infected, drug suppression of the virus. For Type C, everyone is required to be screened and free treatment is provided to all who are infected.
Also read:
Hepatitis C in Mexico: More than 22,000 people cured
95% of children with hepatitis B are at risk of chronic complications
July Wellness Events: From Hepatitis Day to Allergy Day