Hepatitis A is getting serious, C is on the decline, but B remains a concern
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
While new cases of
are becoming scarce, Hepatitis A—associated with childhood jaundice— is severely affecting adults.
"Hepatitis A is emerging as a big enemy, causing liver disease in adults and, in some rare cases, failure," said Dr Akash Shukla, head of gastroenterology in BMC-run KEM Hospital, Parel, and a member of the technical resource group for the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme. Senior hepatologist Dr Aabha Nagral concurred: "As the general standard of living in India, especially metros such as Mumbai, has improved, people are no longer getting exposed to the hepatitis A virus in their childhood.
They don't gain immunity against it and hence could suffer from severe disease if affected in adulthood."
Hep C elimination by 2030?
Almost six years after the direct-acting antiviral Hepatitis C treatment—a "sureshot cure"—was made available for free through the National Viral Hepatitis Control Programme in July 2018, there are fewer new patients coming in at private hospitals. "New patients coming in with Hepatitis C has dropped, indicating that the national programme has worked well," said Dr Shukla.
Data from the state health department shows that 28 lakh people across the state were tested for Hepatitis C in 2024-2025, with 9,476 testing positive. Of these, 8,270 were subjected to further tests, and 2,102 were started on the three-month curative treatment. Incidentally, in 2021-2022, the state had 1,339 Hepatitis C cases.
Gastroenterologist Dr Parijat Gupte from Jupiter Hospital, Thane, attributes "nil" new Hepatitis C infections to better protocols at blood banks and awareness about sharing of needles.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
"Ideally, people who underwent blood transfusions before 2000 (when testing donated blood for the virus became mandatory) should be asked to undergo a test for the virus. They can be put on treatment and cured," he said. In other words, Hepatitis C could be eliminated by 2030 as per the World Health Organisation's schedule, said doctors.
Hep B still scary
The WHO has a clear target for hepatitis viruses: A 95% reduction in cases by 2030.
But Hepatitis B, considered to be one of the most infectious viruses, is still a "decade or more" away from any reduction in incidence, said doctors. This is because of its peculiar genetic structure and ability to reactivate; present treatment focuses on checking the multiplication of the virus and preventing liver cirrhosis and cancer.
Maharashtra health department data shows the number of confirmed Hepatitis B cases went up from 9,000 in 2021-2022 to 65,000 last year, including 23,000 pregnant women.
Dr Sharan Shivaji Narute from Medicover Hospitals, Pune, spoke about a 53-year-old male who underwent a liver transplant after suffering from Hepatitis B since Feb 2021. "We would need to drain up to 13 litres of fluid from his body each time. In June 2024, his son donated part of his liver, and the transplant was a success," said the doctor, adding untreated or late-diagnosed Hepatitis B is the leading cause of liver transplants in the world.
More testing
Shiva Sriram from Molbio Diagnostics said better availability of diagnostic facilities has brought about a change in the hepatitis situation in the country. Testing through the company's Truenat machines available in Maharashtra saw a 150% spike in Hepatitis B tests (from 3,060 to 7,705) and a five-fold increase in Hepatitis C tests (from 475 to 2,475) from 2023-24 to 2024-25. Tests for Hepatitis A and E were relatively low despite seasonal outbreaks, particularly during monsoon.
But Sriram expects this to change as the union govt has reportedly decided to provide a Truenat machine in each of the 40,000 primary health centres across the country in the next two years.
Pregnant are vulnerable
When a 32-year-old pregnant woman was recently admitted to a hospital in Pune with fever and vomiting, it was initially misconstrued as morning sickness. However, her elevated liver enzymes showed Hepatitis A.
"She had a history of eating outside food. Her eyes and urine were bright yellow. Fortunately, she could be treated through IV fluids and medicines," said Dr Padma Srivastava, the gynaecologist treating her at Motherhood Hospitals.
Hepatitis E and A, commonly reported during rains, are caused through contaminated water and food. Gynaecologist Dr Nitin Gupte from Apollo Spectra in Pune said, "In our OPD, 2 to 3 out of 10 pregnant women present with hepatitis symptoms." Hepatitis will even affect the kid, said doctors.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
2 hours ago
- The Hindu
Move on HPV vaccine rollout to adolescent girls raises other vaccination priorities for Kerala: epidemiologists
Kerala's decision to introduce HPV vaccination targeting adolescent girls, to protect them from cervical cancer is generally hailed as a positive public health measure. However, health experts have pointed out that the State has other pressing public health concerns, where also vaccination strategies must be prioritised. Going by the current data from the population-based and hospital-based cancer registries in Kerala, the incidence of cervical cancer has been on a steady decline in the State over the past several years and it no longer figures among the top five cancers affecting women in Kerala, according to epidemiologists. This is consistent with improvements in women's health and hygiene, better sexual practices, education and healthcare access in Kerala. Even though the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended HPV vaccination for adolescent girls, in Kerala cervical cancer incidence is only eight per lakh population, even when at the national level, cervical cancer remained the second highest of all cancers reported amongst women as in 2022. 'Only if there is an uptick' The committee headed by Dr. B. Ekbal, which submitted the State's Vaccine Policy recommendations in November 2022, had noted that HPV vaccination should be considered in Kerala only if there is an increasing trend in the incidence of cervical cancer from the current baseline. It said that given the fact that the cost of vaccinating 13 lakh adolescent girls would be over ₹200 crore, HPV vaccination was not indicated, nor was it cost effective. Dr. Ekbal says that this picture has changed given that Serum Institute of India is now producing HPV vaccines at much competitive rates. While HPV vaccine manufactured by pharma majors are available in the range of ₹2,000-₹4,000/dose (there is also the HPV vaccine which protects against nine strains of HPV, costing around ₹10,850/dose), Cervavac produced by Serum Institute of India is available at ₹2,000/dose. 'HPV vaccine cost has come down and as far as dosage is concerned, there is some emerging evidence, (as per the WHO), that even a single dose delivers solid protection against HPV. That changes the picture completely. From a gender perspective, I am happy about the State's decision to protect adolescent girls against HPV,' Dr. Ekbal said. Current public health concerns However, the State should not forget its current public health concerns, which included protecting children from rabies through anti-rabies pre-exposure prophylaxis vaccine and from mumps, through an additional dose of MMR vaccine, he said. Rabies is emerging as a serious public health issue in the State, with children being a major casualty, he reminded. 'The mortality and morbidity due to influenza and pneumococcal infections is high in the elderly, the immunocompromised and those with co-morbidities. The State should prioritise annual flu vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine to protect elderly against pneumonia and meningitis,' Dr. Ekbal pointed out. He said that the Health department should recommend these vaccines so that there is more uptake for the same, which can bring down the cost of vaccines. Time to push for elimination 'Introducing HPV for adolescent girls is a policy decision that the Government had taken much earlier. Questions whether HPV vaccination is a priority now can be controversial. It is true that cervical cancer incidence is going down steadily and thus this would be the right time to push through elimination strategies. HPV vaccination is being introduced as part of the State's efforts to eliminate cervical cancer and the operational details are being worked out,' PK Jameela, member, State Planning Board, said.
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Tezpur University team develops low-cost device to detect tuberculosis
GUWAHATI A team of researchers from central Assam's Tezpur University has developed an affordable and portable device to detect tuberculosis (TB). The researchers said the device, using the autofluorescence or natural glow of the TB bacteria for detection instead of any chemical or dye, has been specially designed for use in rural and remote areas where advanced medical facilities are not easily available. Pabitra Nath of the university's Department of Physics and the team leader, said the device has a built-in heating system to improve test accuracy and can be operated using a smartphone. 'It costs under ₹25,000 and weighs less than 300 grams, making it a perfect fit for places with limited healthcare infrastructure,' he said. The other members of the team are Biprav Chetry and Chunuranjan Dutta, research scholars from Tezpur University's Department of Physics; J.P. Saikia and Santanu Goswami from the Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology; and Abhijit Gogoi from Labdig Innovations and Systems Private Limited. Early and accurate diagnosis is crucial in stopping the spread of TB, a major public health issue in India. The World Health Organization (WHO) and India's National TB Elimination Programme currently recommend LED fluorescence microscopy as the gold standard for TB screening. However, the standard testing method recommended by the WHO needs expensive machines and trained technicians, which are not available in many rural areas. The new device can solve this problem by making TB testing simpler and more accessible, the researchers said. 'While LED-FM offers higher sensitivity than conventional optical microscopy, it has several drawbacks. It depends on costly equipment, chemical staining agents like auramine-O, and trained personnel for sample preparation and interpretation. Furthermore, its reliance on laboratory infrastructure makes it impractical in many rural settings,' Professor Nath said. The device developed by the Tezpur University researchers leverages the principle of autofluorescence, a natural property of certain microbial cells, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis (mTB) cells, that emit a fluorescence signal when excited by a specific wavelength of light. 'The team's key innovation lies in the integration of a heating element within the sensor system. By raising the temperature of the bacterial sample, the system enhances the natural fluorescence signal from mTB cells, enabling trace-level detection without the use of stains or dyes,' Prof. Nath explained. The team has filed a patent for the device, and their study was published in Biosensors and Bioelectronics, an international journal.
India Today
4 hours ago
- India Today
How to put an end to Hepatitis B
(NOTE: This article was originally published in the India Today issue dated August 4, 2025)Every 30 seconds, globally, someone dies from hepatitis-related liver infections—amounting to 1.3 million deaths annually as per WHO 2024 estimates. The Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) alone contributes to nearly 900,000 of these deaths, mostly due to cirrhosis and liver cancer. That's more than malaria, and approaching tuberculosis levels. The virus is carried by an estimated 29 million Indians—the second-highest number globally. And yet, despite having a protective vaccine and effective antivirals for over three decades, we have failed to eliminate it. Why?advertisementThe painful truth: doctors have failed to engage society. We treated HBV as a medical issue, not a societal one like COVID-19, HIV or tuberculosis. For most people, the infection lasts less than six months. For others, it can get chronic and seriously damage the liver. Shockingly, less than 10 per cent of infected individuals are diagnosed; stigma around sexual transmission of the virus has led to under 5 per cent receiving treatment. This ignorance is far from bliss. The HBV can spread through blood, semen, saliva and other bodily fluids, as well as maternally. But the infected are not at the real case of 67-year-old Dr D. Basu (name changed) from Hubli. A CT scan for mild abdominal discomfort revealed a 5 cm liver cancer. He had tested HBV-positive 35 years ago, but never followed up or took treatment. He even hid the diagnosis from his family. When we treated his cancer, his brother and 37-year-old daughter Kalyani also tested positive, likely due to maternal transmission and later sexual or vertical transmission. This tragic case underlines some key precautions to follow. Periodic monitoring in the HBV-infected is a must—one in 10 of those infected develop cirrhosis or cancer. Patients undergo repeated testing but get no treatment as current guidelines are restrictive, excluding nearly 60 per cent from treatment. Patients live with anxiety, fear and stigma. We must move from treating a select few to treating all HBV-positives. One pill, like tenofovir, taken daily can suppress the virus lifelong, halt transmission and prevent Dr Basu's daughter, could have been protected with a birth dose. She was not given HBV vaccination at birth. India's birth-dose coverage is just 63 per cent. Despite being one of the cheapest vaccines and India being a major vaccine producer, the HBV vaccine is scarcely available in private markets here and public awareness is dismal. Only 4.4 per cent of Delhi's adults are fully vaccinated. Are you? Sadly, nearly one-third of health professionals aren't either. Every Indian child and adult should know: the HBV vaccine is safe, effective and for taught us the power of self-testing. All close contacts of the HBV-infected must be screened. Enact anti-discrimination laws in education, workplaces and healthcare. We need HBV kits to enable one-stop testing and treatment. At least 80 per cent of diagnosed patients must be linked to free, accessible treatment. Integrating HBV services with programmes for prenatal care, non-communicable diseases, HIV and tuberculosis is essential. We must integrate hepatitis testing into routine healthcare check-ups and general population-based screening. Pregnant women should be screened for both HBV and Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)—the latter spreads only through blood contact and affects 5.5 million launched the National Viral Hepatitis Control Program (NVHCP) on July 28, 2018—one of the world's largest campaigns aiming to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030. It offers free diagnosis and treatment for HBV and HCV. While impressive work on screening has been done, the treatment uptake remains low. We need a massive awareness drive and a movement for public around 3,500 global hepatitis deaths daily—11 per cent from India—the crisis demands urgency. Every avoidable death is a call to act. Each preventable infection highlights our collective failure, and an opportunity to act. We need a society-wide approach, powered by political will, scientific leadership and strong community engagement. Let us break it down. No shame. No blame. Just a cure.—The author is Professor of Eminence, Chancellor, ILBS UniversitySubscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsTrending Reel
