Are you number 12?

Provided by 7DAYS.ae

Apart from a generous bust size, Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson is also known for disclosing that she has the serious liver disease, hepatitis C, which she claims she contracted through sharing a tattoo needle with her ex-husband, rock musician Tommy Lee. Aside from such tidbits of information, most people probably don't know much about hepatitis.

So, in order to educate, the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA), has decided to inaugurate today, May 19, 2008, as the first ever World Hepatitis Day. Based on the findings that approximately one out of every 12 people around the globe is infected with chronic hepatitis C or B, the WHA wants to build awareness of the disease.

Viral hepatitis is an infection of the liver and has several strains. Hepatitis C (HCV) is one of the most widespread and affects 180 million people worldwide and can get to a chronic stage.A Patients suffering from HCV however, can live for years without experiencing any symptoms and, as a result, a large number of them remain undiagnosed and consequently untreated.

HCV is therefore considered a 'silent killer', so doctors are extra vigilant that people are aware of this disease.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the percentage of people infected with the HCV virus in the Middle East region is one to two per cent. Statistics from WHO show that 0.83 per cent of the UAE population has the virus, while in Kuwait the percentage is as high as 3.3 per cent. In Oman it is 0.9 per cent, Qatar 2.8 per cent and Yemen 2.6 per cent.

Doctor Wagdy Emile, a specialist gastroenterologist at Al Moosa Medical Centre in Dubai, commends World Hepatitis Day and says that it is essential that people learn more about hepatitis C and understand the dangers of carrying it if undetected. "The disease may progress for many years without symptoms and can eventually lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer and liver failure if not treated," warns Doctor Emile.A "If the disease is detected early, however, there is a high chance for it to be treated."

While the main focus of World Hepatitis Day is to raise awareness among people about the disease and the importance of early detection, it also aims to promote understanding of the hepatitis C virus. "A lot of people think that hepatitis C can be spread through social interaction, so they tend to discriminate against people who suffer from the disease and avoid them," says Doctor Ahed Yosry from Roche Healthcare.

"In fact, the virus is mainly transmitted through direct contact with infected blood, meaning that the people most at risk are those who share needles or have received blood transfusions with infected blood before 1992. Otherwise, hepatitis C sufferers can enjoy normal lives without posing a danger to anyone around them."

For more information on hepatitis contact your doctor or visit www.worldhepatitisday.com.

What is hepatitis?

Hepatitis A

The hepatitis A virus (HAV) lives in the stools of infected individuals. Infected stool can be present in small amounts in food and on objects (from doorknobs to diapers). The hepatitis A virus is spread:

>> when someone ingests anything that's contaminated with HAV-infected stool (easily spread in unsanitary living conditions).

>> in water, milk, and foods, especially in shellfish.

Hepatitis B

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) can cause a wide spectrum of symptoms. The hepatitis B virus spreads through:

>> infected body fluids, like blood, saliva, semen, tears, and urine.

>> a contaminated blood transfusion.

>> shared contaminated needles.

>> sexual activity with an HBV-infected person.

>> transmission from HBV-infected mothers to their newborn babies.

Hepatitis C

The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is spread by direct contact with an infected person's blood. The hepatitis C virus is spread by:

>> sharing needles.

>> getting a tattoo or body piercing with unsterilised tools.

>> blood transfusions (especially before 1992).

>> transmission from mother to newborn.

>> sexual contact (although this is less common).

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