Hepatitis is one of the most common communicable diseases in the United States and is said to be responsible for nearly 350 million people worldwide. If you or someone you know have been diagnosed with one of the six forms of Hepatitis, they aren’t alone. There’s roughly 2 percent of people in the United States that are living with chronic Hepatitis B or C infection.
Over time Hepatitis can cause serious issues, such as illnesses or even death due to both the symptoms of the infection and the complications that may develop from the disease.
In 2015 there were 1.34 million deaths in 2015 alone from people with a form of Hepatitis. Untreated Hepatitis can cause liver Cirrhosis and liver cancers, which account for about 96 percent of deaths are from a form of viral Hepatitis.
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As far as communicable diseases go I have to be quite honest I didn’t realize just how many there are, especially some of the more common ones in the United States. There are more than 20 pathogens can be transmitted through small amounts of blood, which includes Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E and F, HIV/AIDS, Syphilis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Varicella Zoster, and Malaria. After looking a little closer into some of them, I have chosen Hepatitis. I’ve had a pretty general idea of what Hepatitis was but after doing more research I was able to broaden my knowledge of the many forms of Hepatitis. Hepatitis is an disease characterized by inflammation of the liver that results from several different types of agents or exposures to toxic substances. There are five main types of Hepatitis, which are Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.
The most common form of Hepatitis in the United States is Hepatitis C, but Hepatitis B is the most common infectious disease transmitted through work-related exposure to blood. All five forms of Hepatitis are commonly caused by a viral infection, but there are other possible causes of Hepatitis. It may occur as a secondary issue resulting of the use medications, drugs, toxins, and/or alcohol. There are also non-viral Hepatitis, which is inflammation of the liver that can cause scarring on the liver (Cirrhosis), liver Cancer, liver failure and even death.
There are 3 types of non-viral hepatitis: Toxic Hepatitis is an inflammation of your liver in reaction to toxic substances that you’re exposed to such as alcohol, chemicals, drugs or even certain nutritional supplements. Sometimes Toxic Hepatitis develops within hours or days of exposure to a toxin, or it may take months of regular use before signs and/or symptoms will appear. The signs and symptoms often go away when exposure to the toxin stops, but permanent damage can happen to your liver such as Cirrhosis or even liver failure which is extremely dangerous and life threatening.
Alcoholic Hepatitis is inflammation caused by drinking too much alcohol, which over time can be very harmful to the liver. Alcoholic Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by heavily drinking alcohol over a long period of time. The relationship between drinking alcohol and Alcoholic Hepatitis is complex and isn’t fully figured out just yet. So far it has been proven that not all heavy drinkers develop the disease, and that it can occur in people who drink only moderately. If you’re diagnosed with Alcoholic Hepatitis it is imperative that you must stop drinking alcohol because people who continue to drink alcohol after being diagnosed are at a much higher risk of serious liver damage or even death in certain cases.
Autoimmune Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver and that for unknown reasons is caused by the immune system attacking the liver. The exact cause is still unclear, but genetic and environmental factors appear to interact over time which then triggers the disease. If the disease is caught early enough it can be controlled by drugs that suppress the immune system over time. If it is left untreated it can lead to permanent scarring of the liver which is called Cirrhosis and can eventually lead to liver failure. If the disease doesn’t get better from drug treatments or if the disease is too advanced for treatment, a liver transplant may be necessary to sustain life.
Hepatitis A which is also known as HAV, is a highly contagious and is spread person to person through the fecal-oral route by ingesting (eating or drinking) something that has been contaminated with feces of an infected person. Outbreaks have been traced to fresh fruits, vegetables, salads, and raw fish. It’s always a good idea to wash your hands frequently in order to help prevent the spread of HAV. Hepatitis A has been proven to be able to survive outside the body for months. If you use public restroom, never sit on the seat, flush by using your foot, turn off the faucet and open the door with a paper towel. It is rare but possible to get infected with HAV through contact with an infected person’s blood, feces, fluids or sexual contact. Having direct contact with an infected person’s blood is another way to contract it. Hepatitis A can live outside the body for months.
According to recent CDC data, there were an estimated 2,500 new HAV cases in 2014. Once contracted, if you receive proper treatment it is possible for your liver to make a full recovery, heal in about 2 months and most people remain immune from further HAV issues. Hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease and is rarely fatal. It is said to be rarely transmitted by sexual contact but it is possible, so wearing condoms is highly recommended in order to lower the risk of getting it. Ultimately, the best way to prevent yourself from contracting this virus is getting the Hepatitis A vaccine, which you get in two doses given six months apart.
Hepatitis B which is also known as HBV, is transmitted through exposure to dirty contact with an infected person’s blood, vaginal fluid, semen, other bodily fluids, even washcloths can be harmful. Usually HBV is transmitted by either using a “dirty” or infected needle to inject self, or an accidental infected needle stick. canIt also rarely be contracted or spread by sexual contact, but it is possible for transmission to happen. Hepatitis B can also be transmitted from a mother to her newborn baby at birth.
According to recent CDC data, there were an estimated 19,200 new HBV cases in 2014. There was also an estimated 850,000–2.2 million people with chronic HBV living in the United States alone. Once contracted, if you receive proper treatment it is possible for your liver can heal in about 6 months. The best way to prevent getting Hepatitis B is to get the HBV vaccine, adults get three doses given over a six-month period and infants/children get three to four doses given over a six to eighteen month period depending on vaccine type and schedule.
Hepatitis C which is also known as HCV, it is typically transmitted by direct contact with an infected person’s blood. It can also be transmitted injecting drugs into body with an infected needle/syringe, when an infected HCV mother gives birth to her baby, and accidental needle sticks usually in a healthcare setting. Take precautions such as not sharing razors, hair or nail clippers, and toothbrushes, in order to prevent transmission from infected blood on the item being passed to you. Sexual transmission is also possible, but far less common. Although the chance of passing on HCV during intercourse is rare, it’s always best to inform your partner of your HCV before intercourse or anyone else around you that would be at risk. This may be an uncomfortable conversation to have with someone but doing so gives them the opportunity to make safe decisions for themself. If you’re found to have Hepatitis C it’s important that you must share with anyone who may have become infected and so they can seek testing and treatment if need be.
According to recent CDC data, there were an estimated 30,500 new HCV cases in 2014. There was also an estimated 2.7–3.9 million people with chronic HCV living in the United States. Hepatitis C is also the number 1 cause of liver cancer and liver transplants. There is currently no vaccine for HCV, however there is ongoing research and there’s now several Antiviral medications. Most people don’t realize that this disease is curable. The list is surprisingly longer than anticipated and they are as follows, Daclatasvir (Daklinza), Elbasvir and Grazoprevir (Zepatier), Glecaprevir and Pibrentasvir (Mavyret), Ledipasvir and Sofosbuvir (Harvoni), Ombitasvir, Paritaprevir, Ritonavir (Technivie), Ombitasvir, Paritaprevir, and Ritonavir, with
Dasabuvir (Viekira Pak), Sofosbuvir and Velpatasvir (Epclusa), Simeprevir (Olysio), Sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), Sofosbuvir, Velpatasvir, and Voxilaprevir (Vosevi). These new medications have been proven to help cure more than 95% of the people with Hepatitis C infection. Most of these forms of treatment can be anywhere from 8-16 weeks of treatment, this is depending on your Hepatitis C genotype, previous treatment and if you have Cirrhosis or Cancer of the liver. Specific genotypes can be determined by a blood test. To find out more information on possible medication treatment options, speak with your doctor to see if any are right for you. Hepatitis C has one of the longest possible incubation period of all the viruses, which can range from 2 weeks to 6 months.
Hepatitis D which is also known as HDV, it can only be acquired in a person who has active Hepatitis B. Having both HDV and HBV infections can lead to a more serious disease, but having the HBV vaccine helps provide protection from HDV infection. No current Antiviral medications exist for the treatment of hepatitis D at this time. According to a study done in 2013, there’s a drug called Alpha Interferon that can be used to treat HDV, but it has only been proven to show improvement in condition in about 25 to 30 percent of people. Hepatitis D can be prevented by getting the vaccination for HBV, as infection with HBV is necessary for HDV to develop.
Hepatitis E which is known as HEV, is transmitted through te fecal-ora route via consumption of contaminated water or food, especially ingesting undercooked meat or meat products from infected animals. Transmission can also occur from a mother to her fetus, or by transfusion of infected blood. All these ways of transmission are less likely happen in the United States and more common in other countries. There is an estimated 20 million HEV infections world wide, which is leading to an estimated 3.3 million symptomatic cases of Hepatitis E and it is estimated to have cause approximately 44,000 deaths worldwide in 2015. Safe and effective vaccines to prevent HEV infection have been developed and is licensed in China but is not widely available around the world yet.
More recent studies even say there is a new discovery of Hepatitis G, which highly resembles HCV. The viruses effects and its role in causing disease in humans is still being discovered and are currently unclear. The newly founded Hepatitis G virus was discovered to co-exist with hepatitis C and it is estimated that 3.5 million Americans have this virus.
Hepatitis B is the most common infectious disease transmitted through work-related exposure to blood. The CDC estimates that there are 385,000 sharps injuries annually among healthcare personnel and of those 5,100 health care workers became infected with Hepatitis B each year through job-related blood contact. There have even been 54 documented cases of HIV among health care workers in the United States, all resulting from occupational exposures. Research shows that 83 percent of these injuries can be prevented–most through the use of needles with safety features or needleless systems. It is very important to handle dirty needles with extreme safety and care in order to prevent needle sticks and possible diseases.
