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Several viruses cause a disease called hepatitis. The Hepatitis A, B, C, and E viruses all can cause hepatitis. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. Someone with hepatitis usually has low-grade fever, nausea, vomiting, right-sided pain just below the ribcage, yellowing of the whites of the eyes and skin, dark colored urine and/or clay-colored stools, and he usually feels very tired. In most people, the virus is brought under control by our immune system and we get rid of the infection. That is the case for most of the people infected with Hepatitis A, B, and E. Unfortunately, 85 per cent of the people infected by the Hepatitis C virus develop what is called chronic hepatitis. The patients don't have any symptoms for a long time (10 to 20 years). That is because the virus is slowly growing in the patient's liver. Eventually, the virus causes enough damage that the patient has symptoms of hepatitis again and the liver either fails (cirrhosis) or liver cancer develops. Presently, 17 million people are infected with this virus in the world. There are 4 million people infected in the United States alone. Hepatitis C is currently responsible for 8,000 to 10,000 deaths from liver disease or cancer each year in the United States. Right now there are no good treatments for this disease. Without effective treatment, mortalities are expected to triple within the next 10 to 20 years. HCV-related deaths in America could exceed those related to AIDS by the year 2010. The Hepatitis C virus was discovered in 1989. Before 1989, Hepatitis C virus commonly infected people who received blood products or had transplants. A test is now available to determine if a person is infected with the Hepatitis C virus. This test is also used to test blood used in tranfusions and blood products. Now, very few people get the Hepatitis C virus. However, anyone who uses injected drugs are still at risk if they share needles with Hepatitis C infected drug-users. The virus is also thought to be transmissible through straws used to sniff cocaine. In addition, there is thought to be a risk, although relatively low, of transmission among those with multiple sexual partners. There is some hope for people infected with this virus. A drug called interferon is useful in slowing the liver damage and is currently used in patients with serious chronic hepatitis. A recent study that used interferon Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Another Deadly Epidemic Among Us. in Microbiology is owned by Neal Rolfe Chamberlain. Permission to republish Another Deadly Epidemic Among Us. in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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