Hepatitis Classification

1. ADETOUN JOAN NNABUGWU
Centre for Women and Children Development, Nigeria
...a silent epidemic in our world today!

2. INTRODUCTION
 Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver. It is
characterized by the presence of inflammatory cells in the
tissues of the organ.
 A group of viruses known as hepatitis viruses cause most
cases of hepatitis globally but some have also been known
to be caused by toxins, certain medications, some
industrial inorganic solvents and plants, other infections
and autoimmune diseases (Ryan 2004).

3. TYPES OF VIRAL HEPATITIS
 There are 11 viruses recognized as causing
hepatitis. Two (2) are herpesviruses;
cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus and
nine (9) are hepatotropic viruses.
 Of the 9 hepatotropic viruses, only 5 are well
characterized. They include hepatitis A, B,
C, D and E viruses.
 Of these 5, only hepatitis B and D (and
rarely hepatitis C) occur as sexually
transmitted infection (STI).

4. Note...
 Approximately 500 million people worldwide
are living with either hepatitis B or hepatitis
C; this represents 1 in 12 people
(http://www.elpa-info.org/index.php/general-
news). This is to say while many people worry
more about contracting AIDS than Hepatitis;
the reality is that every year 1.5 million people
worldwide die from either hepatitis B or C
faster than they would from HIV/AIDS
(World Hepatitis Alliance, 2008).

5. HEPATITIS B as an STI
 Hepatitis B is very common worldwide with
over 350 million people infected. Originally
known as "serum hepatitis" because it was
thought that the only way hepatitis B virus
(HBV) could spread was through blood or
serum (the liquid portion of blood)
containing the virus.
 Transmission of hepatitis B virus results
from exposure to infectious blood or body
fluids containing blood.

6. Possible forms of transmission
include;
Sexual contact,
Unscreened blood transfusions,
Re-use of contaminated needles & syringes
and,
Vertical transmission from mother to child
(MTCT) during childbirth.

7. Ways by which Hepatitis B cannot be
contracted includes;
Hepatitis B viruses cannot be spread
by;
 holding hands,
 sharing eating utensils or drinking glasses,
 kissing,
 hugging,
 coughing,
 sneezing,
 breastfeeding, etc.
(NIH,2010)

8. HEPATITIS B and PREGNANCY
 Hepatitis during pregnancy can lead to
jaundice in the both woman and the fetus.
 Although, hepatitis B virus cannot cross the
placenta because of its size unless there
have been break in the maternal-fetal
barriers such as those that occur during
amniocentesis, infected mothers can
transmit the virus to the infant during
delivery unless adequate prophylaxis is
provided.

9. HBV & PREGNANCY
An infant infected at birth is at the risk
of developing chronic HBV with its
long-term complications (Mahoney
and Kane, 1999).
According to Roberts and Yeung
(2002), about 10% of pregnant women
develop chronic infection and about
5% develop cirrhosis.

10. HBV & PREGNANCY
Without intervention, a mother who is
positive for HBsAg confers a 20% risk of
passing the infection to her offspring at
the time of birth. This risk is as high as
90% if the mother is also positive for
HBeAg.
Shi et al. (2011) showed that
breastfeeding after proper
immunoprophylaxis did not contribute
to MTCT of HBV.

11. COMPLICATIONS OF HBV
 The acute illness (infection less than six
months) causes liver inflammation,
vomiting, jaundice and, rarely, death.
 Patients with chronic (infection more than
six months) hepatitis B infection also are at
risk of developing cirrhosis, liver failure and
liver cancer.
 The infection is preventable by vaccination
(Pungpapong et al., 2007).

12. In addition;
Sometimes, hepatitis D also known as
delta virus infection can occur
concomitantly with hepatitis B infection.
Patients with chronic hepatitis due to
hepatitis B and hepatitis D viruses develop
cirrhosis (severe liver scarring) rapidly.
Moreover, the combination of delta and B
virus infection is very difficult to treat.

13. Do not wait until complications
arise, get tested today!
THANK
YOU!!!

14. REFERENCES
 http://www.elpa-info.org/index.php/general-news---reader/items/id-
500-million-people-await-world-health-assembly-decision-on-viral-
hepatitis.htm
 National Institute of Health (2010). Hepatitis B.
http://www.ncbi.nml.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/.
 Pungpapong S., Kim W., Poterucha J. (2007). Natural History of Hepatitis
B Virus Infection: an Update for Clinicians. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 82
(8): 967–975.
 Ryan K. J., Ray C. G. (editors), ed. (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology
(4th ed.). McGraw Hill. pp. 551–2. ISBN 0838585299.
 Shi, Z.; Yang, Y.; Wang, H.; Ma, L.; Schreiber, A.; Li, X.; Sun, W.; Zhao, X.
et al. (2011). "Breastfeeding of Newborns by Mothers Carrying Hepatitis B
Virus: A Meta-analysis and Systematic Review". Archives of Pediatrics and
Adolescent Medicine 165 (9): 837–846.
 World Hepatitis Alliance Calls on Governments to Take Urgent Action to
Tackle Chronic Viral Hepatitis B & C Epidemic; (2008). (Press release).
World Hepatitis Alliance.
http://www.aminumber12.org/Content/PDF/news_0004.pdf