Infectious Disease

Hepatitis B epidemiology and prevention strategies

Hepatitis B is a serious viral infection which is characterized by hepatic cell inflammation and disturbed liver functioning and is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates . It is a disease known to mankind since antiquity , given that cases of epidemic jaundice are reported in ancient Chinese documents as well as in Hippocrates writings in the 5th century B .C . Similar epidemics have been described during the Medieval and the Renaissance years , however , the first recorded cases of hepatitis B are probably dated in 1883 in

German shipyard workers following the administration of small pox vaccine . In 1965 , Blumberg identified a specific antigen in the serum of an Australian Aborigine , named Australia antigen , which was later linked to hepatitis B . Its detection allowed the accurate diagnosis of HBV infection , expanded scientific knowledge on the field and led to effective prevention and treatment strategies (Mahmoud Al-Hussami 2004

According to World Health Organization , hepatitis B affects almost 2 billion people worldwide , which represents one third of global population . 75 of the world population live in areas of high endemicity , thus being exposed to high infection risk (Previsani et al 2002 . In its chronic form , the infection affects almost 350 million individuals and may lead to several major complications including liver cirrhosis and failure and hepatocellular carcinoma , thus having an adverse effect on patients ' survival and quality of life (Lok , 2002 Rantala , 2008 . Recent epidemiological and clinical data reveal that up to 80 of primary liver tumors...