India is second to China in terms of number of chronic hepatitis B infections, the most serious type of viral hepatitis and contagious, revealed gastroenterologist Dr Manoj Kumar Sahu at a Press meet here recently.
Dr Sahu said vaccination and timely initiation of antiviral treatment are the pillars of HBV prevention and control. If not managed with antiviral, chronic hepatitis B infections can cause irreversible liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) or liver cancer, he added.
He explained that owing to its asymptomatic nature, chronic hepatitis B infections can damage the liver over many years and patients remain unaware that they have the infection. This also increases the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
He further added that it is critical for people with the infection to take their medicines exactly as prescribed, and failure to do so can cause the virus to develop resistance to antiviral medicines, complicating hepatitis B management.
Dr Sahu said though the disease is not curable, yet newer oral drugs, now available in India, show improved efficacy rates with better safety profiles.