Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver that can be caused by viruses, drugs, toxins, and other infections. The main viral causes are hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E. Hepatitis A is transmitted through contaminated food or water while hepatitis B and C are transmitted through blood and body fluids. Hepatitis B and C can become chronic infections while hepatitis A usually resolves on its own. Vaccines exist for hepatitis A and B but not for C. People at highest risk include injection drug users and those who have sex with multiple partners.
3. Hepatitis
inflammation of the liver
Can have many causes
drugs
toxins
alcohol
viral infections (A, B, C, D, E)
other infections (parasites, bacteria)
physical damage
5. Liver
Functions
Stores sugar needed for energy
Absorbs good nutrients
Breaks down poisons (toxins) and drugs
Makes important proteins that help build new
tissue and repair broken tissue
Produces bile, which helps remove waste from
the body
6. Hepatitis Terms
Acute Hepatitis: Short-term hepatitis.
Bodys immune system clears the virus from
the body within 6 months
Chronic Hepatitis: Long-term hepatitis.
Infection lasts longer than 6 months because
the bodys immune system cannot clear the
virus from the body
7. Source of
virus
feces blood/
blood-derived
body fluids
blood/
blood-derived
body fluids
blood/
blood-derived
body fluids
feces
Route of
transmission
fecal-oral percutaneous
permucosal
percutaneous
permucosal
percutaneous
permucosal
fecal-oral
Chronic
infection
no yes yes yes no
Prevention pre/post-
exposure
immunization
pre/post-
exposure
immunization
blood donor
screening;
risk behavior
modification
pre/post-
exposure
immunization;
risk behavior
modification
ensure safe
drinking
water
Type of Hepatitis
A B C D E
11. Hepatitis A
Incubation period
30 days on average (range 15-50 days)
infectious latter half of incubation period while
asymptomatic through 1 week after having
jaundice.
12. Hepatitis A
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Vomiting
Fatigue
Fever
Dark urine
Pale stool
Jaundice
Stomach pain
Side pain
A person may have all, some or none of these
Symptoms
13. Close personal contact
(e.g., household contact, sex contact,
child day care centers)
Contaminated food, water
(e.g., infected food handlers, raw
shellfish)
Blood exposure (rare)
(e.g., injecting drug use, transfusion)
Hepatitis A Virus Transmission
14. Laboratory Diagnosis
Acute infection is diagnosed by the
detection of HAV-IgM in serum by EIA.
Past Infection i.e. immunity is determined
by the detection of HAV-IgG by EIA.
15. Hepatitis A
Treatment
No medicine or treatment to make it go away
Rest, fluids, treatment of symptoms
Most people recover completely and become
immune to reinfection
16. Hepatitis A
Prevention
Shot of immune globulin up to 2 weeks after
exposure
Good hand washing
Cook food well
Good diaper hygiene
Only drink clean water
VACCINE!!!
17. Hepatitis A
Who needs immune globulin?
Living with someone with Hep A
Eaten food handled by someone with Hep A
Sexual contact with person with Hep A
Traveling to an area where Hep A is common
Child or employee at a child care program
where someone else has Hep A
18. Hepatitis B
Hep B is a serious disease caused by
a virus that infects the liver
Can cause lifelong infection,
cirrhosis (liver scarring), liver
cancer, liver failure and death
20. Geographic Distribution of Chronic HBV
Infection
HBsAg Prevalence
8% - High
2-7% - Intermediate
<2% - Low
21. Hepatitis B
Incubation period
60-90 days on average (range 45-180 days)
infectious weeks before getting ill and for
variable period after acute infection
chronic carriers remain infectious
22. Incubation period: Average 60-90 days
Range 45-180 days
Clinical illness (jaundice): <5 yrs, <10%
5 yrs, 30%-50%
Acute case-fatality rate: 0.5%-1%
Chronic infection: <5 yrs, 30%-90%
5 yrs, 2%-10%
Premature mortality from
chronic liver disease: 15%-25%
Hepatitis B - Clinical
Features
23. Hepatitis B
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Vomiting
Fatigue
Fever
Dark urine
Pale stool
Jaundice
Stomach pain
Side pain
A person may have all, some or none of these
Symptoms
24. Hepatitis B
Risk groups
Anyone can get it
In the USA, 200,000 people get Hep B every
year
5,000 people die every year of Hep B
If any other kinds of Hepatitis more chance to
get Hep B
25. Hepatitis B Infections
200,000 per year
Asymptomatic Cases
100,000 (50%)
Symptomatic Cases
100,000 (50%)
Death
100 (0.05%)
Chronic Liver Disease
Death from Cirrhosis
3400 (1.7%)
Death-Primary Liver Cancer
800 (0.4%)
Hepatitis B Chronic Carriers
12-20,000 (6-10%)
Clear Virus; Healthy
170 - 182,000 (90-94%)
26. Hepatitis B
Who is at highest risk?
Injection drug users
Sex partners of those with Hep B
Sex with more than one partner
Men who have sex with men
Living with someone with chronic Hep B
Contact with blood
Transfusions, travel, dialysis
27. Hepatitis B
How do you get it?
Direct contact with blood or body fluids of an
infected person
sharing injection equipment
sex
baby from infected mother during
childbirth
Hepatitis B is not spread by food, water or
casual contact
28. Hepatitis B
Who is a carrier of Hep B virus?
Some people with Hep B never fully recover
from the infection (chronic infection)
They still carry the virus and can infect others
for the rest of their lives
There are about 1 million carriers of Hep B in
the USA
30. High Moderate
Low/Not
Detectable
blood semen urine
serum vaginal fluid feces
wound exudates saliva sweat
tears
breastmilk
Concentration of Hepatitis B
Virus in Various Body Fluids
31. Diagnosis
A battery of serological tests are used for
the diagnosis of acute and chronic hepatitis
B infection.
HBsAg - used as a general marker of
infection.
HBsAb - used to document recovery
and/or immunity to HBV infection.
anti-HBc IgM - marker of acute infection.
anti-HBcIgG - past or chronic infection.
.
32. Cont
HBeAg - indicates active replication of
virus and therefore infectiveness.
Anti-Hbe - virus no longer replicating.
However, the patient can still be positive for
HBsAg which is made by integrated HBV.
HBV-DNA - indicates active replication of
virus, more accurate than HBeAg especially
in cases of escape mutants. Used mainly for
monitoring response to therapy
33. Treatment
Interferon - for HBeAg +ve carriers with chronic active
hepatitis. Response rate is 30 to 40%.
Lamivudine - a nucleoside analogue reverse transcriptase
inhibitor. Well tolerated, most patients will respond
favorably. However, tendency to relapse on cessation of
treatment. Another problem is the rapid emergence of drug
resistance.
34. Successful response to treatment will result
in the disappearance of HBsAg, HBV-
DNA, and seroconversion to HBeAg.
35. Hepatitis B
What about Hep B and pregnancy?
A woman with Hep B can give it to her baby at
birth
Babies with Hep B can get very sick, can
develop chronic infection and spread Hep B,
can get cirrhosis or liver cancer
Pregnant women should be tested for Hep B
Babies should get Hep B vaccine at birth
36. Hepatitis B
Who should get Hepatitis B vaccine?
All babies, at birth
All children 11-12 who have not had vaccine
People at risk
MSM
Multiple sex partners
Injection drug users
People with jobs where exposure to blood might
happen
37. Prevention
Vaccination - highly effective recombinant vaccines are now
available. Vaccine can be given to those who are at increased
risk of HBV infection such as health care workers. It is also
given routinely to neonates as universal vaccination in many
countries.
Hepatitis B Immunoglobulin - HBIG may be used to protect
persons who are exposed to hepatitis B. It is particular
efficacious within 48 hours of the incident. It may also be given
to neonates who are at increased risk of contracting hepatitis B
i.e. whose mothers are HBsAg and HBeAg positive.
Other measures - screening of blood donors, blood and body
fluid precautions.
38. Hepatitis C
Hep C is a liver infection caused by a virus
Also known as non A, non B hepatitis
39. Hepatitis C
Incubation period
6-7 weeks on average (range 2-6months)
infectious one or more weeks before getting ill
chronic carriers remain infectious
40. Hepatitis C
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Vomiting
Fatigue
Fever
Dark urine
Pale stool
Jaundice
Stomach pain
Side pain
Symptoms
3 out of 4 persons have no symptoms and can
infect others without knowing it
41. Hepatitis C
Who is at risk?
About 35,000 people get Hep C every year
down from 180,000 in the 1980s
About 3.9 million people in the USA are
infected with Hep C.
It can cause liver failure, cirrhosis, liver cancer
Responsible for 8,000 to 10,000 deaths/year.
42. Transfusion or transplant from infected donor
Injecting drug use
Hemodialysis (yrs on treatment)
Accidental injuries with needles/sharps
Sexual/household exposure to anti-HCV-positive
contact
Multiple sex partners
Birth to HCV-infected mother
Risk Factors Associated
with Transmission of HCV
43. Hepatitis C
Shared injection equipment (60% of new infections)
Blood transfusion before May, 1992 (now only 1 in
100,000 chance of transmission)
Blood transfer (HCW, tattoo, piercing )
Sex? (HCV in semen and vf but only 1.5% rate of
transmission for long-term partners)
Mother to child (<5%)
10-20% of infections have no identifiable risk factors
How do you get it?
44. Hepatitis C
Diagnosis
There is a blood test that screens for Hep C antibodies
(ELISA or RIBA)
Antibodies usually develop within 3 months
HIV+ persons may not develop detectable antibodies
If infected, liver enzyme tests or a liver biopsy can
check liver function
45. Hepatitis C
What happens when you have Hepatitis C ?
85% of people develop chronic infection (infected for
the rest of their life)
Rapid progression, slow progression, no progression
HCV subtype
Alcohol consumption (alcoholics 3 times more likely to
develop cirrhosis after 20 years)
age (older at time of infection more rapid)
gender (men faster progression than women)
47. Hepatitis C
Treatment
Interferon/Ribaviron (suggest 40% cure rate)
Peginterferon Alfa-2a (still in studies - not yet
FDA approved)
48. Hepatitis C
What should a person do who has Hep C?
Get regular medical care--tell doctor about ALL
drugs (including herbs)!!!
Have a healthy diet (no iron supplements, reduce
salt intake, no large doses of vitamin A)
Get needed rest
No alcohol or Tylenol, cut back on other drug use
Avoid chemical fumes and other environmental
toxins
Get vaccinated for A and B!!!
49. Hepatitis C
What should a person do who has Hep C?
Do not share injection equipment.
Do not donate blood or plasma, organs or sperm
Do not share toothbrushes, razors
Cover areas of open skin
Use safer sex
53. Incubation period: Average 40 days
Range 15-60 days
Case-fatality rate: Overall, 1%-3%
Pregnant women,
15%-25%
Illness severity: Increased with age
Chronic sequelae: None identified
Hepatitis E - Clinical Features
54. Most outbreaks associated with faecally contaminated drinking
water.
Several other large epidemics have occurred since in the Indian
subcontinent and the USSR, China, Africa and Mexico.
In the United States and other nonendemic areas, where
outbreaks of hepatitis E have not been documented to occur, a
low prevalence of anti-HEV (<2%) has been found in healthy
populations. The source of infection for these persons is
unknown.
Minimal person-to-person transmission.
Hepatitis E -
Epidemiologic Features
56. Avoid drinking water (and beverages with ice) of
unknown purity, uncooked shellfish, and uncooked
fruit/vegetables not peeled or prepared by traveler.
IG prepared from donors in Western countries
does not prevent infection.
Unknown efficacy of IG prepared from donors in
endemic areas.
Vaccine?
Prevention and Control Measures
for Travelers to HEV-Endemic
Regions
57. Hepatitis
AVirus BVirus CVirus
Symptoms
of
Initial
Infection
Some people have no symptoms (especially HCV)
Eyes or skin may turn yellow (jaundice)
Loss of appetite
Nausea, vomiting, fever, stomach or joint pain
Fatigue (can last weeks or months)
Dark urine & pale bowel movements
Chronic
Infection
(Infection for
life)
No chronic disease 10% Chronic
Can cause:
Liver cell damage
Cirrhosis
Liver cancer
85% Chronic
Can cause:
Liver cell damage
Cirrhosis
Liver cancer
How is it
Spread?
Fecal/ oral
Contaminated
food and water
Oral/Anal sexual
contact
Blood and body
fluid contact
Sex
Needles
Mother to baby
Human bite
Blood and body fluid
contact
Needles
Mother to baby
Sex (minimal)
Vaccine Yes Yes No