Hepatitis incidence highest in N-E

Guwahati, July 24: The Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR) has commissioned a study to determine the incidence of hepatitis in the Northeast, which is considered to be highest in the country.

The ICMR is the apex body of the Centre for formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research and is one of the oldest medical research bodies in the world.

The head of the department of gastro-enterology of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital and principal investigator for the study, Bhabadev Goswami, told The Telegraph that Arunachal Pradesh has the highest incidence of Hepatitis B infection in the country.

“We also have a very high percentage of Hepatitis C in Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram. In Assam, both the infections are prevalent but incidence of Hepatitis B virus infection is more than Hepatitis-C virus,” Goswami said.

According to him, it has been observed that the prevalence of Hepatitis B and C is very high in the region and the study will shed more light on the actual percentage of incidence in each state and the reasons responsible for the high incidence.

He said they would start work on the study within the next couple of months. The three-year study will cover the entire northeastern region, including Sikkim.

“For the study, we will have centres in all the states from where blood samples will be drawn and tested at the department of gastro-enterology in the GMCH,” the doctor said.

Goswami said Hepatitis B spreads when blood, semen or other body fluid infected with Hepatitis B virus enters the body of a person who is not infected.

He said people could become infected with Hepatitis B virus during birth (from an infected mother to her baby); sex with an infected partner; sharing needles, syringes or any other drug injection equipment; sharing food that has been pre-chewed by an infected persons; direct contact with blood or open sores of an infected person and exposure to blood from used needles or other sharp instruments.

“Hepatitis C usually spreads when blood from an infected person enters the body of someone who is not infected. Today, most people become infected with Hepatitis C by sharing needles and other equipment used to inject drugs,” he said.

“Before widespread screening of blood supply began in 1992, Hepatitis C also used to spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants,” he said.

Goswami, who is also a member of the NGO, Northeast Digestive and Liver Foundation, said the gastro-enterology department of the GMCH and the foundation had joined hands with the World Hepatitis Alliance (WHA) to organise a weeklong hepatitis awareness programme in the Northeast to commemorate World Hepatitis Day on Thursday.

The World Hepatitis Alliance is a not-for-profit international umbrella non-governmental organisation whose membership is composed of organisations working in the field of hepatitis.

“Our awareness campaign will focus on a variety of programmes such as hepatitis screenings for the public, continuing medical education for doctors and creating public awareness, particularly among school students,” he said.

“We feel that it is crucial for the northeastern region to realise the magnitude of this disease. Practically, there is no cure for Hepatitis B and C but we can suppress these diseases with new medicines. Awareness may help us contain the spread of the disease,” he added.