World Hepatitis Day
- Alissar Dalloul
- Jul 28, 2022
- 1 min read
Updated: Jul 30, 2022
On July 28 this year (and every day on), let's raise worldwide awareness of hepatitis.
Many are unaware they may currently be living with hepatitis. Don't wait; get tested.
Hepatitis, simply put, is inflammation of the liver. The liver's function is to filter and process nutrients carried in blood traveling from the stomach & intestines. This crucial organ is critical for creating nutrients and digesting drugs into useful forms for our body. However liver-inflammation can interfere with these vital processes.
Causes of liver inflammation (other than the primary 5 strand of hepatitis): alcohol abuse, certain prescription drugs, previous medical conditions, tissue damage, over-consumption of fat.
Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E
These strands of hepatitis are more so associated with World Hepatitis Day, as they are transferrable between individuals, and linked to an infectious disease. On World Hepatitis Day, let's spread awareness, encouraging prevention, diagnosis, and intervention.
Hepatitis A
very contagious (through close contact or contaminated consumption), vaccine-preventable, ~2 months
Yellow skin or eyes, Loss of appetite, Throwing up, Stomach pain, Fever, Dark urine or light- colored stools, Diarrhea, Joint pain, Feeling tired
Hepatitis B
very contagious ( blood, semen, or other body fluids from a person infected with the virus), vaccine-preventable, ~short or long (can be chronic)
Yellow skin or eyes, Loss of appetite, Throwing up, Stomach pain, Fever, Dark urine or light- colored stools, Diarrhea, Joint pain, Feeling tired
Hepatitis C
spread through contact with blood from an infected person (i.e. sharing needles), ~ 50% long term (chronic), 50% short term
Fever, Fatigue, Dark urine, Clay-colored stool, Abdominal pain, Loss of appetite, Nausea, Vomiting, Joint pain, Jaundice
Hepatitis D
must also be infected w/ B strand of virus, spread by blood or other body fluids. ~ short-term infection or long-term, superinfection or co-infection
Fever, Fatigue, Dark urine, Clay-colored stool, Abdominal pain, Loss of appetite, Nausea, Vomiting, Joint pain, Jaundice
Hepatitis E
unknowingly ingests the virus (more common in developing countries; contaminated water), usually quick recovery unless immunocompromised
Fever, Fatigue, Loss of appetite, Nausea, Vomiting, Abdominal pain, Dark urine, Clay-colored stool, Joint pain, Jaundice
World Hepatitis Day, celebrated annually on July 28th, is an opportunity to raise awareness of the global burden of viral hepatitis and to recognize the discovery of the Hepatitis B virus in 1967 by Nobel prize-winning scientist Dr. Baruch Blumberg and his subsequent achievements in developing a diagnostic test and vaccine for the virus (Tbilisi).
Resources
Tbilisi, U. S. E. (2022, July 28). Embassy CDC and NCDC Georgia celebrate World
Hepatitis Day 2022. U.S. Embassy in Georgia. Retrieved July 28, 2022, from
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, June 22). Hepatitis E - faqs, resources,
and testing requests. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved July 28,
2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hev/index.htm
Check out our instagram for infographics:
Comments