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Author:
Hendrick Wilbur

There is no other way to explain all the hype Hepatitis B has been generating from all over the globe. The figures attached to it are too overwhelming to not be given much notice. Hepatitis B's prominence in the world's health care concerns is too big to miss. With about 350 million people worldwide infected and about one third of world's population being exposed to the virus, Hepatitis B boasts of an unwanted and unwelcome super stardom. To make this claim more founded, let figures in America speak for themselves. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) places the number at 140,000 to 320,000 cases of acute (short duration) hepatitis B occurring each year. At the other side of the globe, the figures reflect 15 to 20 percent infection rate among adults in southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Hepatitis B ranks as one of the many possible infectious diseases of the liver. Other types are Hepatitis A, C, D, and E. Hepatitis is basically the inflammation of liver. The hepatitis virus attacks and destroys the parts of liver cells. As common knowledge has it, the liver is one of the most important organs of the body. The liver is responsible for the production and secretion of the bile, an important element of digestion and metabolism. The liver is also responsible for glycogen storage, plasma protein synthesis, and drug detoxification. It is also responsible for regulating the many high-volume biochemical reactions of the body. You can just imagine then how detrimental it is to have a malfunctioning liver.

Hepatitis B, originally "serum hepatitis," is the infection of Hepatitis B virus (HBV). A member of the Hepadnavirus family, HBV is but one of the very few known non-retroviral viruses. Non-retroviral viruses are the kind that replicates through reverse transcription. Once the virus enters the body, its double-stranded DNA genome transfers to the nucleus of liver cells. Actually, the body is equipped with antibodies to combat the virus, but these antibodies are not enough to eliminate the infection already present in the infected liver cells. The continuous replication of the virus and the continuous production of the antibodies are believed to be the reasons for the development of complex immune diseases.

The primary mode through which the Hepatitis B virus can be transmitted is exposure to contaminated bodily fluids. Specific types of this mode are unprotected sexual intercourse, blood transfusion, use of contaminated syringe and needles, mother-to-child transfer, and others. Bodily fluids like breast milk, saliva, and urine (low concentration) are also known agents of transmission. Other modes of transmission are tattooing, body piercing, acupuncture, and bites from infected insects like tropic mosquitoes and bed bugs.

Infection from HBV comes in two stages: acute (self-limited) or chronic (long-standing). Acute Hepatitis B manifests through symptoms like loss of appetite, nausea and abdominal pain, jaundice, skin rash, pain and swelling of the joints, and low-grade fever. Chronic Hepatitis B, on the other hand, is either asymptomatic or chronic hepatitis associative.

The older the person at the onset of infection, the higher the chances are of clearing the infection. Full recovery and the development of protective immunity is seen among 95 percent of patients who got infected as either adults or older children. For patients at the age of one to six, the chance is at 75 percent. The chance of recovery is only 5 percent for newborns.

Anti-viral treatments are not given to Hepatitis B of acute stage since the infection is very likely to resolve on its own. For chronic Hepatitis B, the available antivirals are lamivudine, adefovir, and interferon alpha. Lamivudine is a nucleaoside drug which functions as an impostor. It closely resembles the biochemical units of the virus' DNA and tricks the HBV to hasten replication. Lamivudine is safe to use by patients with advanced cirrhosis. It can also improve liver biopsies and patients get less liver scarring and inflammation. Interferon alpha, on the other hand, enhances the production of white blood cells for higher fighting power against infection. Interferon alpha also works by further stimulating the immune system to get rid of the virus.

Prevention from HBV contamination lies mainly in avoiding the modes through which it can be transmitted. Practicing protected sexual contact, using safe and sterilized needles, and keeping a healthy lifestyle are the most basic preventive measures. There are also vaccines that make use of immunological methods to prevent Hepatitis B.

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