HEPATITIS

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, most commonly caused by a viral infection. There are five main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. These five types are of greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death they cause and the potential for outbreaks and epidemic spread. In particular, types B and C lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people and, together, are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer.Hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water. Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of parenteral contact with infected body fluids. Common modes of transmission for these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products, invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for hepatitis B transmission from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.
Hepatitis A  is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus,The incubation period is 15–50 days. HAV is excreted in the feces towards the end of the incubation period, specific diagnosis is made by the detection of HAV-specific IgMantibodies in the blood. IgM antibody is only present in the blood following an acute hepatitis A infection. It is detectable from one to two weeks after the initial infection and persists for up to 14 weeks. The presence of IgG antibody in the blood means that the acute stage of the illness is past and the person is immune to further infection.There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A. Sufferers are advised to rest, avoid fatty foods and alcohol (these may be poorly tolerated for some additional months during the recovery phase and cause minor relapses), eat a well-balanced diet, and stay hydrated.

Hepatitis E is a viral hepatitis (liver inflammation) caused by infection with a virus called hepatitis E virus (HEV).The incubation period of hepatitis E varies from 3 to 8 weeks. After a short prodromal phase symptoms lasting from days to weeks follow. They may include jaundice, fatigue and nausea. The symptomatic phase coincides with elevated hepatic aminotransferase levels.

Acute infection may occur with limited or no symptoms, or may include symptoms such as jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.Hepatitis may occur with limited or no symptoms, but often leads to jaundice, anorexia (poor appetite) and malaise. Hepatitis is acute when it lasts less than six months and chronic when it persists longer. Worldwide hepatitis viruses are the most common cause of the condition, but hepatitis can be caused by other infections, toxic substances (notably alcohol, certain medications, some industrial organic solvents and plants), and autoimmune diseases.

Most liver damage is caused by 3 hepatitis viruses, called hepatitis A, B and C. However, hepatitis can also be caused by alcohol and some other toxins and infections, as well as from our own autoimmune process (the body attacks itself). 

LIVER IS AFFECTED ................

The liver has a wide range of functions, including:

• Detoxification (filters harmful substances form the blood, such as alcohol)
• Stores vitamins A, D, K and B12 (also stores minerals)
• Protein synthesis (makes certain amino acids - the building blocks of proteins)
• The production of biochemicals needed for digestion, such as bile
• Maintains proper levels of glucose in the blood
• Produces 80% of your body's cholesterol (cholesterol is vital)
• The storage glycogen (also converts glucose to glycogen)
• Decomposing red blood cells
• Synthesizing plasma protein
• The production of hormones
• Produces urea (the main substance of urine

As many as 83,000 children below the age of five will be administered polio vaccine during a campaign on January 19 and 23 in the Corporation limits.

The vaccination would be carried out at 184 centres, including government hospitals, city health office, corporation dispensary, anganwadi centres, schools, Old Bus Stand, New Bus Stand and railway stations between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. on these two days.

Also 10 teams in mobile vehicles would visit people living on roadsides, migrated families and people living in huts, to administer polio vaccine to children below five years of age.

One lakh doses of vaccine have been preserved at the nine Ice Line Refrigerator (ILR) centres in the city. About 1,200 volunteers, including doctors, NSS students, and members of non-governmental organisation would be involved in the immunisation drive under 22 supervisors.

A press release from Corporation Commissioner M. Ashokan asked people to utilise the opportunity to enable polio-free society.

• Globally: 362 cases (223 in 2012)• Endemic countries: 138 cases (217 in 2012)•Pakistan – 77•Afghanistan –11•Nigeria – 50•Non-endemic countries: 224 cases
•Somalia – 183•Kenya – 14•Ethiopia – 6•Syrian Arab Republic -17•Cameroon - 4• WPV1 detected in 96 sewage samples from 27 sampling sites in Israel

Unprecedented progress has been made towards the goal of polio eradication in India.

The last case of polio due to wild polio virus in the country was detected on 13 January 2011 in Howrah district of West Bengal. This monumental progress in polio eradication brings India and the South-East Asia Region of WHO, comprising 11 countries (including India), very close to the polio-free certification.

Contrast this landmark development with estimates that prior to the introduction of the oral polio vaccine in India in 1978, nearly 500 children were being paralyzed due to polio every single day in the country.The programme was intensified and mass polio vaccination campaign launched in 1995. This reduced the number of cases to less than 2000 cases annually, until 2010, when only 42 cases were reported during the year followed by the last polio case in January 2011.

It took India nearly 16 years, since it began its efforts to eradicate polio, to finally get rid of the wild polio viruses from the country. Reaching the vast population with diverse socio-cultural practices, overcoming the physical and social barriers, achieving high vaccination coverage in all areas despite weaknesses in health systems and ensuring coverage of the most vulnerable newborns and migrant populations have been the major challenges that have been overcome by the polio programme in India.

 The more efficacious monovalent oral polio vaccine (mOPV) was introduced in 2005 and the bivalent OPV in 2010 to break the last chains of poliovirus.India is already playing a critical role in the development of the polio end-game strategy, with support from WHO and other partners. The strategy involves a switch from trivalent oral polio vaccine to bivalent oral polio vaccine and a phased withdrawal of the oral polio vaccines from the programme with the possible introduction of inactivated polio vaccine (IPV) in routine immunization schedule. India is conducting research to support policy decisions as a major part of the polio end-game strategic planning.The polio eradication programme is a “model of excellence” for other public health initiatives in India and global health interventions as a whole.

This progress in polio eradication cannot afford to pause and we cannot rest on our laurels. It is vitally important for India to continue with the good work until global polio-free certification is achieved.