This year sees the first ever World Health Organisation’s Global Strategy for Viral Hepatitis, which sets a goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a public health threat by 2030.

Let's join together on World Hepatitis Day (28 July) to make the elimination of viral hepatitis our next greatest achievement.

WHAT IS HEPATITIS?

Hepatitis is the inflammation (swelling) of your liver. It can be caused by certain medications, drinking too much alcohol, or more commonly, as a result of a viral infection. This is known as viral hepatitis. The most common types of viral hepatitis are Hepatitis A, B and C. Other types include D and E, but these are less common.

Some types will pass without any serious problems, while others can be long-lasting (chronic) and cause scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), loss of liver function and, in some cases, liver cancer.

There are 5 main hepatitis viruses, referred to as types A, B, C, D and E. These 5 types are of greatest concern because of the burden of illness and death they cause and the potential for outbreaks and epidemics. 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.

SYMPTOMS OF HEPATITIS

Short-term (acute) hepatitis often has no noticeable symptoms so you may not realise you have it. If symptoms do develop, they can include:

• Muscle and joint pain
• A high temperature (fever)
• Feeling and being sick
• Feeling unusually tired all the time
• A general sense of feeling unwell
• Loss of appetite
• Abdominal pain
• Dark urine
• Pale, grey-coloured faeces
• Itchy skin
• Yellowing of the eyes and skin

If you have hepatitis, you may not have any symptoms at all. If you do, they’ll vary depending on the type of hepatitis you have.

If you have any persistent or troublesome symptoms that you think could be caused by hepatitis, you should see your GP.

Long-term (chronic) hepatitis also may not have any obvious symptoms until the liver stops working properly (liver failure) and may only be picked up during blood tests.

In the later stages it can cause jaundice, swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, confusion and blood in your stools or vomit.

Types of Hepatitis

HEPATITIS A

This is the most common form of hepatitis and this virus leads to inflammation (swelling) of the liver. This is most commonly transmitted by oral -faecal route via eating food and drinking water infected with a virus called HAV. Hepatitis A can affect all age groups. Once a person is exposed to the virus it takes between 2 – 6 weeks to produce symptoms.

Hepatitis A usually passes within a few months, although it can occasionally be severe and even life-threatening. There is no specific treatment for it, other than to relieve symptoms such as pain, nausea and itching.

HEPATITIS B

Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus, which is spread in the blood of an infected person.

It is a common infection worldwide and is usually spread from infected pregnant women to their babies, or from child-to-child contact. In rare cases, it can be spread through unprotected sex and injecting drugs.

Hepatitis B is uncommon in the UK and most cases affect people who became infected while growing up in a part of the world where the infection is more common, such as Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Most people infected as children develop a long-term infection. This is known as ‘chronic’ hepatitis B and it can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Antiviral medication can be used to treat it.

In the UK, vaccination against hepatitis B is recommended for people in high-risk groups, such as healthcare workers, people who inject drugs, men who have sex with men and people travelling to parts of the world where the infection is more common.

HEPATITIS C

This is the most common type of viral hepatitis in the UK. It is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact with an infected person.

In the UK, it is most commonly spread through sharing needles used to inject drugs. Outside of the UK, poor healthcare practices and unsafe medical injections are the main ways it’s spread.

Hepatitis C often causes no noticeable symptoms, or only flu-like symptoms, so many people are unaware that they are infected.

Approximately 25% will fight off the infection and be free of the virus. In the remaining cases, it will stay in the body for many years. This is known as chronic hepatitis C and can cause cirrhosis and / or liver failure.

Chronic hepatitis C can be treated with very effective antiviral medications, but there is currently no vaccine available.

HEPATITIS D

Hepatitis D only affects people who are already infected with hepatitis B, as it needs the hepatitis B virus to be able to survive in the body.

Hepatitis D is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact or sexual contact. It is uncommon in the UK, but is more widespread in other parts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and south America.

Long-term infection with hepatitis D and hepatitis B can increase the risk of developing serious problems, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

There is no vaccine specifically for hepatitis D, but the hepatitis B vaccine (see above) can help protect you from it.

HEPATITIS E

This is usually caught by consuming food and drink contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. It is now the most common cause of short-term (acute) hepatitis in the UK.

Hepatitis E is generally a mild and short term infection that doesn’t require any treatment, but it can be serious in a small number of people. It can become chronic in people who have a suppressed immune system, such as those who have had an organ transplant.

There is no vaccine for hepatitis E, but the risk can be reduced by practicing good food and water hygiene measures, particularly when travelling to parts of the world with poor sanitisation. The British Liver Trust has more information on hepatitis E.