Viral hepatitis: A global burden needs future directions for the management

Abstract

Viral hepatitis is an acute or chronic liver disease due to the infection from Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses. It can cause severe liver damage such as cirrhosis, liver failure and liver cancer. To avoid such fatal complications, hepatitis patients must be diagnosed, pathologized and treated as soon as possible. Furthermore, these hepatitis viruses infect through different routes, resulting in distinct disease pathologies, severity and even the need for specific treatment strategies to combat the infection.

Keywords: Viral hepatitis; Vaccination; Chronic; Acute; Viral therapy

Core Tip: Vaccination is the primary strategy for neutralizing several hepatitis viruses and it is highly effective against most hepatitis viruses. However, additional precautions must be taken for patients at a higher risk of infection such as those who take drugs, prisoners, the homeless or homosexuals. From interferon monotherapy and interferon combination therapy with direct-acting antiviral agents to interferon-free regimens which act by viral chain braking are among the measures to control hepatitis. These strategies can play a critical role in achieving World Health Organization's an ambitious but attainable goal of eliminating hepatitis infection by 2030.