📢Public Service Announcement📢 There is a huge outbreak of infectious hepatitis from a single village in Kerala. Multiple hospitals are dealing with many patients, young and old, coming in with jaundice and hepatitis due to Hepatitis A virus infection. My Unit is also treating many uncomplicated cases, but also patients who are severely affected with acute liver failure due to Hepatitis A virus. Strangely, many complicated hepatitis A patients are presenting with kidney failure along with liver failure. Acute liver failure is loss of liver function that occurs quickly — in days or weeks — usually in a person who has no preexisting liver disease. Acute liver failure can cause serious complications, including bleeding and increased pressure in the brain. It's a medical emergency that requires hospitalization. Depending on the cause, acute liver failure can sometimes be reversed with treatment. In many situations, though, a liver transplant may be the only cure. Hepatitis A outbreaks occur due to contaminated water sources, unsafe handling of food or poor hand hygiene of food handlers - watch out for those street vendors and water sources. According to the World Health Organisation’s Global Hepatitis Report 2024, India has among the highest burdens of viral hepatitis — tied with tuberculosis (TB) as the second largest infectious killer in the world. Covid-19 was the number one infectious killer. There are five hepatitis viruses that cause liver disease in humans. Hepatitis A and E are transmitted through contaminated food and water, and result in few weeks of self-limiting symptoms such as fever, abdominal pain, jaundice, dark urine, and sometimes itching and pale stools. Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) spread through blood and bodily fluids. Some of these viruses may result in a short-term infections which resolve on their own. But others can lead to chronic life-long disease, cause cirrhosis (permanent scarring of the liver) and increase the risk of liver cancer. HBV can be prevented by vaccination, while HCV can be cured with medication. Hepatitis D (HDV) can only infect those who are already infected with HBV. It can thus be prevented by vaccinating against HBV. India has the world’s second highest prevalence of viral hepatitis cases, accounting for over 11% of the global burden. Remember these: ✅Hepatitis A is vaccine preventable. Minimum age is 12 months. Live vaccine is single dose. Inactivated vaccine is two doses. Adults and seniors must also take it if living in endemic areas (like Kerala). Cost is 1800 - 2500 INR for each dose. ✅Hepatitis B is vaccine preventable. It is a three dose vaccine. Check your HBV status HBsAg - if positive, it means you are infected. Please see a doctor for further evaluation and need for treatment (all HBsAg +ve patients do not require treatment) If HBsAg is negative and anti-HBs (antibody to HBV) is negative, then take three doses of vaccine If HBsAg is negative and anti-HBs is positive (but titer is less than 100) then take single booster If HBsAg is negative and anti-HBs is positive and titer is >100, then you are well protected ✅HCV has no vaccine, but it is curable with simple and effective, safe medications given for 3 to 6 months. Check anti-HCV status. If it is negative, then you do not need any further evaluation. If anti-HCV is +ve, then please see a doctor who will then assess further. The doctor will check if virus is active in the body by testing HCV-RNA in blood. If RNA is detectable, then they will go on to check the type of HCV (there are many sub-types) and provide targeted antiviral treatment for cure and also look at further follow up based on presence or absence of underlying chronic liver disease (please note: anti-HCV test may never get negative even after viral clearance with drugs, but do not worry). Please note: Jaundice is NOT a disease. It is THE SYMPTOM of a disease. Jaundice can be due to liver or non-liver disorders. DO NOT USE AYURVEDA/ HOMEOPATHY/ NATUROPATHY THERAPIES IF YOU HAVE JAUNDICE DETECTED. GO SEE A REAL DOCTOR PLEASE. 🔥To read more on Hepatitis (there are many causes for hepatitis) in general, please see this link: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK55… Be safe. Evaluate. Vaccinate. Follow hygienic practices. Get treatment. Viral hepatitis can be prevented, controlled and cured.