Hepatitis

Viral hepatitis is a systemic infection affecting predominantly the liver and causing its inflammation. It may be acute (recent infection, relatively rapid onset) or chronic. ^[1]

Viral hepatitis is caused by infection with one of the five known hepatotropic viruses –

• Hepatitis A Virus (HAV)
• Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
• Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
• Hepatitis D Virus (HDV) 
• Hepatitis E Virus (HEV)

Infection with HBV, HCV, or HDV may present as acute hepatitis sometimes. However, these viruses have the potential to cause persistent infection in a subset of those infected. Such infection may be associated with ongoing liver damage, which may progress to liver cirrhosis or liver cancer and can become life-threatening. ^[1]

Prevalence in India

About 30% of the disease burden due to viral hepatitis is in the WHO South-East Asia Region, with an estimated 100 million and 30 million people infected with HBV and HCV, respectively. ^[1]

India has an estimated 40 million chronic HBV infected people, constituting approximately 11% of the estimated global burden. The population prevalence of chronic HBV infection in India is around 3-4 %. Chronic HBV infections account for 40-50% of HCC and 10-20% of cases of cirrhosis in India. ^[1]

The estimated prevalence of HCV infection in India is about 0.5–1.5%. India with its large population accounts for a significant proportion of the global HCV burden. Approximately 12–18 million people are thought to be infected with HCV in India. ^[2]