Health experts and physicians say, over one crore people are infected by deadly hepatitis B or C virus in the country. The patients of hepatitis B virus have been increasing in the country every year. It is high time to take necessary steps to prevent this infections.

Sources say, one in every 12 people is afflicted with either hepatitis B or C in the world. Two to four percent people of the country are infected by hepatitis B while 1-3 percent are attacked by hepatitis C. There is no arrangement for diagnosing hepatitis B or C in the country. Surveys among sex workers in Dhaka have found that almost 10 per cent are carrying hepatitis B virus.

The Government has taken measures to administer preventive vaccine to children aged between 1 and 1.6 years. Around 92 percent children have been vaccinated, but this process is not running now. Medical source say that there are several hepatitis viruses

like hepatitis A, B, C, D, E & G. Acute hepatitis causes short illness. Chronic hepatitis - lasts for a long time. Acute hepatitis is usually caused by hepatitis A, B and E and chronic hepatitis is due to hepatitis B and C viral infection.

Vaccines are available to prevent infection from hepatitis A and B but not C. Other viruses that can cause injury to liver cells include hepatitis A and hepatitis C viruses. They spread and affect the liver in different ways.

The hepatitis B virus is a DNA virus meaning that its genetic material is made up of deoxyribonucleic acids. It belongs to a family of viruses known as Hepadnaviridae. The virus is primarily found in the liver but is also present in the blood and certain body fluids. In infected individuals, the virus can be found in the blood, semen, vaginal discharge, breast milk, and saliva, said Bangladesh Medical Association spokesman.

According to medical sources, hepatitis B does not spread through food, water, or by casual contact. Rather it may spread from infected mothers to their babies at birth. Sexual contact is the most common means of transmission, followed by using contaminated needles for injecting illicit drugs, tattooing, body piercing, or acupuncture. Additionally, hepatitis B can be transmitted through sharing toothbrushes and razors contaminated with infected fluids or blood. These viruses contribute greatly to the burden of disease in low-income population.

Dr. Harunur Rashid, in an article said it has been found that about 1.2 to 3.5 percent of the pregnant ladies in Bangladesh are Hbs B positive who can potentially transmit the virus. Delay in vaccination for the first six weeks will put 70-90 percent babies at risk of acquiring infection immediately after birth.

Dr. Motaher Hossain, an expert of liver working at Square Hospital in Dhaka, said to The New Nation hepatitis virus is as like as AIDS. We are trying to make our people conscious about the bad effect of AIDS. But in the case of hepatitis we remained silent. Almost 8 per cent adult people are affected with the hepatitis Virus. And the total treatment of hepatitis is not possible for any person.

He also said it is the government's duty to make all the people, specially the common people conscious about it by circulating advertisement in the media. We can include this topic in our text books at school and college level as prevention is better than treatment, he observed.

World Health Organisation (WHO) Strategic Advisory Group of Experts (SAGE) recommended that all infants should receive first dose of hepatitis B vaccine within the first 24 hours of delivery. Whereas, national schedule in Bangladesh suggests immunising babies at six weeks of life with the first dose of vaccine. But the virus does not wait to be transmitted until six weeks and can easily be transmitted from hepatitis B positive mothers to their babies during the delivery process.

http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2010/06/25/news0051.htm

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