Hepatitis: The Silent Threat Across All Age Groups

Rapid Summary

• Hepatitis affects people of all ages and is considered a silent threat in India.
• On World Hepatitis Day (July 28), Hyderabad doctors raised concerns over the rising liver disease burden in India and stressed on awareness, screening, and prevention.
• Over 40 million Indians live with Hepatitis B and up to 12 million with Hepatitis C, frequently enough undiagnosed. The disease can stay dormant for years before severe damage is evident.
• Types of hepatitis include A, B, C, D, and E:

– A & E: Spread through contaminated food/water.
– B & C: Transmitted via infected blood, shared needles, unprotected sex or from mother to child.- D: Requires pre-existing infection with type B.

• Risk factors include viral infections,alcohol consumption,unhealthy diets,obesity,certain medications or herbal remedies. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is increasingly being observed in individuals as young as their early forties due to sedentary lifestyles and poor diets.
• Symptoms appear late; common signs (if any) include fatigue, jaundice-like conditions such as dark urine/pale stools or abdominal pain.

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