Hepatitis is an inflammatory condition that affects the liver. Although it is mainly a viral infection, there could be other possible reasons for the same. There are five variants of hepatitis infection, namely, Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.
Out of all the deaths occurring globally due to viral hepatitis, 50% are due to the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). As many as 240 million people across the globe, especially sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, are chronically affected by the virus. Among these 240 million people, 5 to 10% are supposed to be the carriers.
Also, in these regions, most people are likely to get infected as infants through vertical transmission (mother to child). Other reasons may include – sexual intercourse with an infected person, sharing infected needles, etc. Out of all the routes of infection, vertical transmission is considered one of the most critical routes of transmission.
HBV infection often does not cause any symptoms. And, therefore, people having this condition remain unaware of the same. It is what makes this condition even more dangerous. And, this is where we need to come up and increase awareness about the hidden threats of hepatitis and encourage vaccination to break the cycle of transmission.
