A world without viral hepatitis...
Liver damage occurs slowly and silently.
Information for Journalists
12 Fast Facts about hepatitis B – A background for journalists.
- Globally, 400 million people have chronic hepatitis B which can result in serious liver disease and is a leading cause of liver cancer and death worldwide. In Australia, approximately 165,000 people are living with chronic hepatitis B.
- The hepatitis B virus is transmitted by blood to blood contact or unprotected sexual contact. A pregnant woman who has hepatitis B infection can transmit the virus to her baby.
- Hepatitis B infection is vaccine preventable. The vaccine is effective in 95% of the population and is provided through the National Immunisation Program.
- The majority of people with chronic hepatitis B in Australia were infected early in life in hepatitis B endemic regions, such as the Asia Pacific, or rural and remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- Following exposure to the virus, an acute illness develops in approximately 30 – 50% of adults. Some adults and most infants and children do not develop any significant symptoms of acute hepatitis B infection.
- Most adults (95%) will recover completely from acute hepatitis B infection. The greatest burden of disease is borne by people with chronic hepatitis B infection; 90% of infants and 30% of children will develop chronic (lifelong) hepatitis.
- It used to be thought that many people with chronic hepatitis B were “healthy carriers”. We now know that all people with chronic hepatitis B are potentially at risk for progressive liver damage, cirrhosis and liver cancer.
- People with chronic hepatitis B may feel well even though liver damage is occurring. Late diagnosis of chronic hepatitis B with existing liver cancer is not uncommon.
- Everyone with chronic hepatitis B needs to be regularly monitored throughout their life as they pass through different phases of the disease.
- Treatment is only recommended in particular phases of the disease to reduce the amount of virus in the blood and the risk of developing progressive liver disease.
- There is no cure for hepatitis B, but two main types of treatment are used to reduce the risk of progressive liver disease. The most common treatment is daily anti-viral tablets such as Entecavir or Tenofovir. These have few side-effects and significantly reduce the amount of virus in about 90% of people after one year. Alternatively, pegylated interferon taken for 48 weeks results in sustained viral
suppression in around 35-40% of people. - People with chronic hepatitis B are advised to reduce, or eliminate alcohol, and
follow a balanced diet to reduce their risk of developing advanced liver disease.
12 Fast Facts about hepatitis C – A background for journalists.
- The hepatitis C virus was first identified and named in 1989; it had previously been referred to as “non-A and non-B hepatitis”, or “transfusion-related hepatitis”.
- Globally, 170 million people have chronic hepatitis C which can result in liver disease and liver cancer. In Australia, an estimated 212,000 have chronic or longterm hepatitis C, and an estimated 10,000 new infections occur annually.
- Hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus transmitted when infected blood enters the bloodstream of another person. Hepatitis C is not classified as a sexually transmissible disease.
- Sharing drug injecting equipment is the principle route of hepatitis C transmission in Australia. Other risks include unsterile body art and piercing, accidental exposure in healthcare settings and blood transfusion prior to 1990.
- There is no vaccine for hepatitis C. Needle and syringe programs reduce transmission amongst people who inject drugs. Application of infection control measures prevent transmission in healthcare settings and during tattooing and body piercing. The blood supply has been screened for hepatitis C since 1990.
- The first stage of acute infection is often very mild, and may go unnoticed. Around 75% of people living with hepatitis C go on to develop chronic infection and varying levels of liver damage.
- As symptoms are often slow to develop, many people are not diagnosed until years, or even decades after their initial exposure to the hepatitis C virus.
- The number of people with chronic hepatitis C and more advanced liver disease or cirrhosis, is projected to increase by 38% between 2006 and 2015 unless the number of people being treated increases substantially.
- In Australia, chronic hepatitis C infection is the leading cause of liver transplantation. In 2008, only 3,500 people received treatment for hepatitis C in Australia.
- In 2008, only 3,500 people received treatment for hepatitis C in Australia.
- Treatment with pegylated interferon and ribavirin results in a cure for 80% of people with genotype (strain) 2 or 3, and 50% of those with genotype 1 or 4. Cure or sustained virological response (SVR) is accepted as the absence of hepatitis C virus in the blood six months after treatment completion.
- Many people report complementary medicines help to alleviate symptoms of their chronic hepatitis C; however, some complementary medicines can be harmful to the liver. Therefore, the best outcomes are achieved through collaboration between the person with hepatitis C, their GP or liver specialist and their complementary medicine practitioner.
