Hepatitis B double-stranded DNA virus + Hepatitis C single-stranded RNA virus
Modes of transmission:
1. By blood and blood products ( risk of transmission by blood transfusion through scans 1 / 65.000 )
2. Via blood-contaminated needles (drug users, tattoo and piercing needles reused without sterilization)
3. Body fluids (saliva, semen, breast milk, urine) , bile etc) – not found in stool!
4. From infected persons to their sexual partners + from infected mother to baby at birth + with organ transplantation from infected individual
Stages:
1. Incubation period: Hepatitis B up to 12 weeks-Hepatitis C 6- 10 weeks
2. Pre-jaundice period (preicteric stage): Fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, starting to dislike the taste of cigarettes
3. Jaundice period (icteric stage): Other complaints rapidly decrease with the appearance of jaundice. Itching develops throughout the body. While the color of the urine becomes darker, the color of the stool becomes lighter. There may be mild pain/tenderness in the liver lodge.
4. Convalescence period: The duration is variable (1-4 months)
Carriage:
90% of infants infected with hepatitis B virus, 25-50% of children under 6 years of age and 5-10% of adults remain carriers. 50-85% of people infected with the hepatitis C virus remain carriers. 25% of these patients become cirrhosis after 15 to 20 years. The majority of liver transplant patients are hepatitis C carriers approaching the final stage. Hepatitis C carrier also significantly increases the risk of liver cancer. Hepatitis B carriers are around 4% in the west of Turkey and around 8% in the east; The total number of carriers is around 3 million. The rate of hepatitis C carrier is 2% on average, and there are 1 million hepatitis C carriers in total in Turkey.
Prevention and treatment:
There is no hepatitis C vaccine, we can only protect ourselves by being careful about transmission routes! Vaccination against hepatitis B is available and everyone should be vaccinated! Interferon + Ribavirin combination therapy is currently considered standard treatment for hepatitis C carriers under the supervision of a specialist.
