The city of Los Angeles on Monday started a campaign to mark World Hepatitis Day, an international observation designed to draw attention to the disease afflicting millions of people around the world.
Globally, some 500 million people are chronically infected with the blood-borne hepatitis B and C. Hepatitis A, a shorter-lived disease caused by a virus found in feces, accounts for 1.4 million cases reported each year, health officials said.
Vaccines have been developed for hepatitis A and B, but not one for hepatitis C. According to Los Angeles Public Health Director Dr. Jonathan Fielding, there are some 134,000 people in the Los Angeles area with hepatitis C.
"Hepatitis is preventable, but people need to know how they maybe at risk. Persons with chronic hepatitis B or C should be immunized because their damaged liver will not fare well if infected by one of the other hepatitis viruses (A or B)," Fielding said.
"Persons who have never had any of these diseases should get vaccinated for hepatitis A and B, and talk to their doctor about their risks for hepatitis C." he added.
Hepatitis C is typically spread by sharing needles or receiving a blood infusion from an infected person while hepatitis B can be spread by unprotected sex, sharing drug needles, repeated contact with an infected person's personal hygiene items, or can be passed from a mother to her infant during birth.
Source: Xinhua
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