Yes, it is. Hepatitis B is caused by a tiny virus that, while not always causing issues, can have severe consequences.
For example:
• It can derail the dreams of someone like the young man aspiring to go to the Gulf.
• It may force someone like the lab staff to spend a significant amount on immunoglobulin injections to prevent infection.
• It can cause anxiety and heartbreak for those who might inadvertently infect their partner after concealing the illness.
• In the worst-case scenario, the virus can lead to liver damage or even liver cancer, resulting in death.
The saying “Prevention is better than cure” holds especially true for Hepatitis B. Although treatments are available, they are expensive. Treatment can help manage the severe effects of the virus and reduce complications, but completely eliminating the virus from the body is challenging.
However, modern medicine has not bowed to the Hepatitis B virus. Just as we eradicated deadly viruses like smallpox and polio, we have a powerful weapon here too—vaccination. Yes, an affordable and highly effective vaccine is available. Yet, it’s heartbreaking that many people around us fall prey to this virus despite this preventive measure.
How is Hepatitis B different from other viral infections?
1. People infected with Hepatitis B often show no external symptoms. However, even in this asymptomatic state, they can transmit the virus to others.
2. The virus can remain in the body for a lifetime without causing any problems.
3. It can cause complications immediately after infection or after several years.
4. It spreads faster from person to person than the AIDS virus.
5. Unlike many other viral diseases, it is relatively easier to prevent with vaccination.
How does this virus spread to others?
Hepatitis B: Understanding the Virus and Prevention
According to recent statistics, around 250 million people globally carry the Hepatitis B virus, and approximately 600,000 people die each year due to liver diseases caused by the virus. The primary mode of transmission varies across different regions. In countries like Africa, mother-to-child transmission during childbirth is common, while in developed countries like the U.S., unsafe sexual practices and sharing needles among drug users are the primary causes. Among these, unsafe sexual practices are the most significant, with male-to-male sexual activity posing a particularly high risk. Individuals with multiple sexual partners are also at a greater risk.
The virus can be present in the bodily fluids of infected individuals. It spreads through contact with these fluids, often entering through minor cuts or wounds in the skin. Sharing razors, knives, toothbrushes, or even toys can transmit the virus. In households where people share items, the infection may spread without any apparent reason.
Healthcare workers are at high risk of contracting the virus. It can spread to doctors, nurses, or laboratory staff who handle bodily fluids of infected patients. For this reason, vaccination against Hepatitis B is non-negotiable for anyone working in this field.
The virus can also spread through improperly sterilized surgical instruments. This is why pre-surgical screenings for Hepatitis B are mandatory. Practices like tattooing or acupuncture with unsterilized tools also pose a risk.
Receiving blood from an infected person is one of the easiest ways to contract the virus. While donated blood is screened for Hepatitis B, it takes weeks for the virus to show up in tests after entering the body. During this "window period," infected blood can still transmit the virus to others. Patients undergoing treatments like dialysis are also at high risk.
Organ transplants from infected donors can transmit the virus as well.
What Happens When the Virus Enters the Body?
When the virus enters the body, about 70% of infected individuals show no symptoms, while the remaining 30% might experience fever or mild jaundice. If the person's immune system is healthy, the body can naturally clear the virus in 95% of cases. However, in about 5% of cases, the virus persists, leading to chronic Hepatitis B. Transmission from mother to child at birth is more likely to result in chronic infection. Once the infection becomes chronic, it is difficult to eliminate the virus completely, though in rare cases, it may resolve on its own over time.
The virus primarily affects the liver. In some cases, it causes no significant liver damage, and the individual can live a normal life as a chronic carrier. Most chronic carriers are identified during routine blood tests for other reasons. However, in some cases, the virus can cause severe liver damage, leading to conditions like Fulminant Hepatitis or cirrhosis, and in others, it may result in liver cancer. Often, the presence of the virus is discovered only after significant liver damage.
What Should You Do If Infected?
Simply detecting the virus in the body does not necessitate treatment. Treatment depends on the virus's load, activity level, and the extent of liver damage. Blood tests and ultrasound scans are necessary to classify patients into different categories. Those with low viral load and minimal liver damage fall into the "chronic carrier" category and generally do not require treatment. However, regular monitoring is essential to ensure the virus does not become more active.
Patients with high viral load and active liver damage fall into the "chronic active hepatitis" category and require long-term treatment. Although treatment can suppress the virus and prevent significant liver damage, complete elimination of the virus is rare.
How Can You Prevent Hepatitis B?
1. Vaccination: A cost-effective vaccine offering 96% protection is available. It is essential for everyone, especially healthcare workers, lab technicians, dialysis patients, and those requiring frequent blood transfusions. The vaccine is administered in three doses over six months. A booster dose after five years is generally unnecessary for most individuals, as the immunity usually lasts.
2. Safe Sexual Practices: Avoid multiple sexual partners and unprotected sex, especially with commercial sex workers. Use condoms consistently if abstinence is not possible.
3. Prevent Mother-to-Child Transmission: Most mother-to-child transmission occurs during or just before delivery. Newborns should receive the Hepatitis B vaccine and immunoglobulin immediately after birth. If the mother has a high viral load, antiviral medications during pregnancy can reduce the risk of transmission.
4. Avoid Sharing Needles: Drug users should never share needles to minimize the risk of infection.
5. Follow Safety Protocols in Healthcare Settings: Healthcare workers must adhere to stringent safety measures when handling patients or bodily fluids.
6. Limit Blood Transfusions: Avoid unnecessary blood transfusions and ensure thorough screening of donor blood.
7. Use Sterile Equipment: Ensure surgical tools, needles, and other instruments are properly sterilized.
8. Screen for Blood and Organ Donations: Advanced screening methods should be used to detect infections before blood or organ donation.
9. Avoid Unsafe Practices: Refrain from risky activities like unverified tattooing or acupuncture.
Post-Exposure Measures
If exposed to the virus through bodily flui