Hepatitis:
Hepatitis means inflammation (swelling and pain) of the liver. The liver is important for a range of functions in the body. These include regulating metabolism, making proteins, storing vitamins and iron, removing toxins and producing bile.
If the liver doesn’t work properly, it can cause serious illness or sometimes even death. Hepatitis may be caused by infection, viruses, chemicals, alcohol, drug use and other factors. ‘Chronic hepatitis’ means ongoing inflammation of the liver, irrespective of the underlying cause.
The various forms of viral hepatitis are named after different letters of the alphabet. These include hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. While all these viruses affect the liver, they are spread in different ways and have different treatments. The most common types of viral hepatitis in Australia are A, B and C.
Other viruses may also cause hepatitis, such as the yellow fever virus and the virus that causes glandular fever.
Not everyone with hepatitis has symptoms. Generally speaking, when symptoms occur, they may include:
(a small piece of liver tissue is taken for laboratory examination).
Treatment depends on the type of hepatitis. Please consult your doctor for specific information about treatment. Chronic viral hepatitis – whether due to hepatitis B or C – can, after many years, lead to cirrhosis and primary cancer of the liver.
At the end of 2012, an estimated 28,000-34,000
people were living with Hepatitis in Australia of whom approximately 25,700 were fully diagnosed with their infection. As an overall national prevalence (130-158 per 100,000),the level of Hepatitis in Australia is slightly lower than in the United Kingdom in2011 (150 per 100,000 population) and three to four-hold lower than in United States in 2009 (456 per 200,000).
The population rate of reported diagnoses of hepatitis A infection in Australia remained below at 1.3 per 100,000 population in 2008-2012, except in 2009, when a large multi‑jurisdictional outbreak of hepatitis A infection
resulted in an increased rate of 2.6.
The population rate of diagnosis of hepatitis
B infection in Australia declined from 31.0 in 2008 to 29.1 in 2012. The decreases in the rate of hepatitis B diagnosis were among people aged 20–24 years, from 54.3
in 2003 to 39.8 in 2012 and among those aged 15-19 years, from 27.1 in 2003 to 17.6 in 2012. The number and rate of diagnosis of newly acquired hepatitis B decreased from 262 and 1.2 in 2008 to 193 and 0.8 in 2012 The rate of diagnosis of newly acquired hepatitis B infection declined substantially from 2003 among people aged 15–19 years, 20–24 years and 25–29 years. Adolescent “catch up” vaccination programs may have contributed in this reduction. However, the rate of diagnosis of newly acquired
hepatitis B
infection also declined among those aged 30 years or older.
Hepatitis means inflammation (swelling and pain) of the liver. The liver is important for a range of functions in the body. These include regulating metabolism, making proteins, storing vitamins and iron, removing toxins and producing bile.
If the liver doesn’t work properly, it can cause serious illness or sometimes even death. Hepatitis may be caused by infection, viruses, chemicals, alcohol, drug use and other factors. ‘Chronic hepatitis’ means ongoing inflammation of the liver, irrespective of the underlying cause.
The various forms of viral hepatitis are named after different letters of the alphabet. These include hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. While all these viruses affect the liver, they are spread in different ways and have different treatments. The most common types of viral hepatitis in Australia are A, B and C.
Other viruses may also cause hepatitis, such as the yellow fever virus and the virus that causes glandular fever.
Not everyone with hepatitis has symptoms. Generally speaking, when symptoms occur, they may include:
- Fever
- Nausea
- Abdominal discomfort
- Dark urine
- Lethargy (tiredness)
- Painful joints
- Oedema (swelling)
- Easy bruising
- Jaundice (yellow skin and eyes).
(a small piece of liver tissue is taken for laboratory examination).
Treatment depends on the type of hepatitis. Please consult your doctor for specific information about treatment. Chronic viral hepatitis – whether due to hepatitis B or C – can, after many years, lead to cirrhosis and primary cancer of the liver.
At the end of 2012, an estimated 28,000-34,000
people were living with Hepatitis in Australia of whom approximately 25,700 were fully diagnosed with their infection. As an overall national prevalence (130-158 per 100,000),the level of Hepatitis in Australia is slightly lower than in the United Kingdom in2011 (150 per 100,000 population) and three to four-hold lower than in United States in 2009 (456 per 200,000).
The population rate of reported diagnoses of hepatitis A infection in Australia remained below at 1.3 per 100,000 population in 2008-2012, except in 2009, when a large multi‑jurisdictional outbreak of hepatitis A infection
resulted in an increased rate of 2.6.
The population rate of diagnosis of hepatitis
B infection in Australia declined from 31.0 in 2008 to 29.1 in 2012. The decreases in the rate of hepatitis B diagnosis were among people aged 20–24 years, from 54.3
in 2003 to 39.8 in 2012 and among those aged 15-19 years, from 27.1 in 2003 to 17.6 in 2012. The number and rate of diagnosis of newly acquired hepatitis B decreased from 262 and 1.2 in 2008 to 193 and 0.8 in 2012 The rate of diagnosis of newly acquired hepatitis B infection declined substantially from 2003 among people aged 15–19 years, 20–24 years and 25–29 years. Adolescent “catch up” vaccination programs may have contributed in this reduction. However, the rate of diagnosis of newly acquired
hepatitis B
infection also declined among those aged 30 years or older.