The HEALTH : July 2018 | Page 12

12 issue : hepatitis

HEPATITIS

The HEALTH | JULY , 2018
12 issue : hepatitis
123RF
The image shows some of the symptoms of hepatitis B , apart from its causes .

Identifying common causes of Hepatitis B

B is a disease that is easily contracted through the sharing of sharp instruments such as needles – tattooing , drug usage and acupuncture are the common attributes , razors , toothbrushes or earrings . The disease can also be spread through unprotected sex with an infected person , contact with an open wound or wound dressing and through birth – passing from an infected mother to her newborn baby ,” said University of Malaya Faculty of Medicine , Department of Medicine , Professor Dr Rosmawati Mohamed .
“ The outcome of Hepatitis B depends at the time the infection occurred . If you were to develop hepatitis B as an adult , in 95 percent of cases , you will be able to recover and not carry the disease on .”
“ However , babies who contract the infection at birth will carry the virus for the rest of their life and have persistent chronic effects . Hence , vaccination for babies are crucial ,” she said .
She explained that , vaccination started in 1998 in Malaysia .
“ Those vaccinated after 1998 are not at a high risk of contracting the disease . A study conducted
Dr Rosmawati Mohamed
showed that only 0.4 percent of those vaccinated contracted hepatitis B meanwhile among the unvaccinated , it was recorded up to three percent .

Common cause of death in Malaysia

There are five types of hepatitis and the most common forms are hepatitis A , B and C
EPATITIS is one of the most

H common cause of death in the country . There are five types of hepatitis and the most common forms are hepatitis A , B and C . Often referred to as an inflammatory condition of the liver , it is commonly caused by a viral infection .

Hepatitis A
University of Malaya Faculty of Medicine , Department of Medicine , Professor Dr Rosmawati Mohamed pointed out that hepatitis A can be transmitted through the consumption of cockle or oysters .
However , the disease isn ’ t transmitted through all seafood . Hepatitis A is the only one among the five types of hepatitis that is transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water .
“ Nevertheless , food such as cockle and oysters are safe for continued consumption as long as you are protected ,” she said .
It should be noted that Hepatitis A only causes short term effects and recurrence of getting the disease is not very likely post recovery .

No symptoms for Hepatitis C until too late

123RF
PREVALENCE of hepatitis C is at 1.8 per cent with an estimated total viraemic population of 380 , 000 individuals . Sixty percent of the infection are due to infection showcasing a similar mode of transmission to hepatitis B . Sexual intercourse and intimate sexual contact can also cause the transmission of Hepatitis C .
University of Malaya Faculty of Medicine , Department of Medicine , Professor Dr Rosmawati Mohamed quoted a research article in which she was a coauthor ; ‘ Bridging the data gaps in the epidemiology of hepatitis C virus infection in Malaysia using multiparameter evidence synthesis ’, where an estimated 2.5 per cent of the adult population are antibody positive for Hepatitis C of whom 59 per cent acquired their infection through injecting .
“ 80 per cent of people who are infected with Hepatitis C do not develop any symptoms . Progression of chronic hepatitis C is slow and silent with symptoms such as jaundice ( yellow discolouration of the eyes , tiredness or water retention occurs when the liver disease is advanced , upon development of liver failure or liver cancer .”
Hepatitis C can cause long term effect , known as chronic hepatitis and come in two most dreaded form being sclerosis of the liver and liver cancer . This can lead to death among individuals .
“ Liver cancer , starts with the scarring of the liver then followed by cancer cells that begins developing . Seventy to 80 percent of liver cancers are caused by hepatitis C in Malaysia .
Prevention
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C , hence Rosmawati encourages universal precautions to reduce HCV transmission via different modalities such as strengthening harm reduction programmes ( needlesyringe programmes , reducing nosocomial infection ( healthcare associated HCV transmission and implementing a universal screening of donated blood products .