Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition of the liver, caused by a variety of infectious viruses and non-infectious agents that lead to severe diseases and even liver cancer, affecting children, adolescents and adults every year.
Types of hepatitis:
There are five main strains of viral hepatitis – A, B, C, D and E which can be transmitted in different ways, and which differ according to the severity of the disease.
- Hepatitis A is a foodborne illness and is transmitted primarily through the faecal-oral route, i.e. when an uninfected person injects food that has been in contact with the hands of an infected person. It can also be spread through contaminated water and unwashed food or directly from an infected (and unvaccinated) person. Additionally, this disease can also be associated with a lack of clean water, inadequate sanitation, poor personal hygiene, and oral and anal sex. This virus can cause mild to severe illness.
- Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with contaminated blood, and exposure to contaminated needles (needle sticks, tattoos and even piercings), syringes or bodily fluids. Yet the most common mode of transmission is from a mother to her baby at birth/during delivery. This is known as perinatal transmission and can cause both acute and chronic illnesses. Moreover, exposure to body fluids such as saliva and menstrual, vaginal and seminal fluids can also be one of the sources of infection. Yet Hepatitis D requires the presence of Hepatitis B for its replication.
- Hepatitis C is considered as a chronic and long-term condition. It is transmitted through blood from unsafe injection practices, unscreened blood transfusions and injected drugs through the sharing of needles or use and sexual practices that lead to exposure to blood.
- Hepatitis E is transmitted through faecal contamination of drinking water supplies. That is, when the virus is excreted by someone's infected stool, it contaminates the drinking water which therefore enters the human body through the intestine. However, one can also get hepatitis E by eating undercooked pork, deer, or event shellfish.
Common symptoms of hepatitis:
It is recommended to take preventive measures as per above strains, to better protect yourself against hepatitis infection and/or consult your doctor if you think you might have contracted one of the strains.
Read more on Hepatitis: https://www.who.int/campaigns/world-hepatitis-day/2022
