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Surveillance on a global scale needs to be strengthened in order to improve medical
knowledge of transmission of the virus. Interferon is the only drug that has been found
effective in the treatment of HCV infection. However, treatment is very expensive –
thousands of dollars for the drug alone –and must be administered by infection several
times a week for several months. Moreover, some patients, experience serious side-
effects also, about half of the patients go into remission but 50 % relapse when the
treatment is stopped, only 25 % have long term remission. Given its cost, only a
minority of patients can afford it, or are likely to be offered it. Studies involving less
costly, orally administered drugs are continuing, but results so far have been
disappointing. For a number of technical reasons, the development of a vaccine to
prevent HCV infection is unlikely for many years.
HEPATITIS E:
The infection caused by the hepatitis E virus (HEV) which was discovered in 1980, is
essentially water- borne disease. Formerly termed enterically transmitted hepatitis non-
A, non-B (HNANB), HEV is a 29 nm to 32-nm RNA virus. Water or food supplies,
contaminated by faeces, in which the virus is excreted, have been implicated in major
outbreaks reported in all parts of the world that have a hot climate. After an incubation
period of 2-9 weeks, a self –limiting acute viral hepatitis appears, lasting for a period of
several weeks, which is followed by recovery. No case of chronic disease has been
reported by acute hepatitis E. In addition, HEV has a propensity to induce a
fulminating from of acute disease (the mortality ranges between 0.5% to 4%)
particularly in pregnant women, upto 20 % of whom may develop fulminating hepatitis
E, with mortality that reach about 80% of such cases. The importance of intrauterine
infections due to hepatitis E infection during pregnancy, responsible for abortions,
intrauterine death, and high perinatal morbidity and mortality, is currently under
investigation. The first major epidemic was reported in New Delhi in the winter of 1995
-96. After the flooding of yamuna river,30,000 cases of jaundice were described ,and
retrospectively attributed to hepatitis E .china reported 100,000 cases of jaundice
between 1986 and 1988. Since then, additional outbreaks have been reported from
Borneo, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, Pakistan etc. However, hepatitis E outbreaks
or even sporadic cases are rare in temperate climates. In central Europe and in North
America, hepatitis E has been diagnosed only in patients returning from countries with
high endemicity for viral hepatitis. But screening of blood donors in these areas has
shown a prevalence of anti-HEV antibodies upto 2.5% the findings were similar for
blood donors from south Africa (1.4%)and Thailand (2.8%) seroprevalence in blood
donor (9.5%and 24% respectively )diagnosis is made by the level of anti-HEV
antibodies in the serum. No confirmatory assay is currently available anti-HEV IgM
antibodies have been determined; however, their usefulness for the diagnosis of acute
hepatitis E infection remains to be confirmed.
Hepatitis E appears to be widespread problem in developing countries where there are
problems in providing safe drinking water and adequate sewage disposal. General
precautions against the infection are as outlined for hepatitis A for prevention, travelers
to highly endemic areas are recommended to take the usual elementary food hygiene
precautions. There is no specific treatment for hepatitis E. only supportive measures are
required. Recovery from hepatitis E is always complete. No vaccine or specific
immunoglobulin prophylaxis is available .preliminary studies in primates indicate that
protection through vaccination may be achievable in the foreseeable future.
HEPATITIS D: