Thursday, November 27, 2008

Health - Hepatitis B

How To Manage Hepatitis B Emergence by Elizabeth Campbell


How To Manage Hepatitis B Emergence

Elizabeth Campbell

Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the virus of hepatitis B, a DNA virus whose natural host is human body. It is a known fact that this particular virus is very resistant to the conditions outside its host, which means this little living virus can survive outside its natural environment for a long time. They actually discovered it on the contaminated medical equipment, many months after the contamination, and this could be the transmission way, or at least one of them.

The hepatitis B virus can have more viral particles in the infected blood but it is 100 times less infectious than the HIV virus. In contrast to HIV, hepatitis B can be transmitted through the saliva as well.

Infection from Hepatitis B results from unprotected sexual contact and contact with infected biological fluids such as blood, seminal liquid, vaginal secretions and saliva. Crowded living conditions can also be a contributing factor in transmitting the disease within the family circle. Because of this, it can be transmitted much faster than the HIV.

The Hepatitis B infection can be transmitted through four mechanisms. The first one is through vertical transmission, from mother to baby through childbirth. The second mechanism is the horizontal transmission, which is transmission by being in close contact with an infected person and is common between children, young people and adults too. An intimate association within the family members where one is infected is a source of horizontal infection as well. The infection can be transmitted through blood, saliva and other genital discharges. An open wound coming in contact with an infected blood or saliva from used utensils is a very good transmission agent.

Sexual transmission is made by normal or homosexual activity between a healthy and an infected individual. Parental transmission of the virus of the Hepatitis B is performed through blood as well as through contaminated blood products, which enter the organism of a healthy host through syringe needles, blood transfusions, hem dialysis, or even intravenous administered drugs.

Throughout the world, doctors and medical workers who are continually exposed to infected person will be very vulnerable to the infection. Other kinds of work which put their workers in danger of infection are the policemen, paramedics, firemen, and military personnel.

There are over 3 million people all over the world infected with the disease and thus are potential carriers of the Hepatitis B virus. Care should be exercised in everything that we use and people we come across. Regardless if we are not in high-risk professions such as mentioned above, you can also be exposed to infected objects such as needles or utensils. We must disseminate information about this disease to young people in a way that they will understand the dangers of this illness and how they can avoid it.

Effective dissemination of information about this infection to everybody, especially teenagers who have a tendency to throw all cares to the wind including sexual matters will lower the incidence of contamination worldwide.

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Article Source: How To Manage Hepatitis B Emergence

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