(NC)-Hepatitis C is an infectious virus that is carried in the blood and harms the liver. About 240,000 Canadians are infected, many of whom are unaware that they even have it. The number of people with hepatitis C is increasing in Canada and around the world, primarily among those who share needles and other drug equipment. An estimated 5,000 Canadians – mostly young people – get this virus each year.

Although the hepatitis C virus has been around for a long time, it was only identified in 1989. It causes inflammation of the liver, which often progresses to cirrhosis (scarring that makes it difficult for the liver to function normally). Of the estimated 5,000 people that are newly infected each year, up to 70 percent experience no symptoms. For some, symptoms may not show up for 20 or 30 years. In the meantime, they may, unknowingly, be infecting others. That is why it is important to know if you are at risk and how to take preventative action.

If you think you have hepatitis C, or that you may be at risk, visit your doctor and ask for the simple blood test for this disease. For more information, contact a health care professional, and visit Health Canada’s Web site at www.healthcanada.ca/hepc.

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News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

(NC)-Hepatitis C is spread through contact with infected blood. Here are just some of the ways in which you can be infected with this virus:

Sharing needles, straws, pipes, spoons and other drug-related equipment.

(At least two-thirds of all new hepatitis C infections are drug-use related. Cleaning equipment with bleach does not always effectively kill the virus)

Getting a tattoo, body piercing or acupuncture from an operator who does not use sterile equipment or techniques

Being born to a mother with hepatitis C

Getting pierced by a needle or sharp equipment that has infected blood on it ( in a hospital, workplace situation, etc.)

People who had blood transfusions before the testing of blood donations became mandatory in 1990 may also be at risk. And, while the risk is low, it is also possible to become infected by sharing personal household articles such as a razor or toothbrush with an infected person. The risk of transmission of hepatitis C during sex is also low, unless both parties have open bleeding sores.

It is estimated that 240, 000 people in Canada are currently infected with hepatitis C, of whom only 30% know they have the virus.

If you think you may be at risk, either now or from past risky activities see a doctor. The virus can be detected with a simple blood test, and there are steps and medications you can take to successfully minimize the effects of the disease if your diagnosis is positive. For more information, visit Health Canada’s Web site at www.healthcanada.ca/hepc.

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

Hepatitis is a disease taking on many forms which feature inflammation of the liver. The cause is depended on the prognosis and on the symptoms shown. Certain forms of hepatitis are unable to reveal many signs or symptoms and are only noticeable when the longstanding inflammation has led to the replacement of liver cells by connective tissue. General symptoms of hepatitis are noticed by fever, enlarged liver, abdominal pain, and jaundice (icterus).

Viral infections are the cause of most acute Hepatitis. Hepatitis comes in 7 not so delicious flavours: Hepatitis A, B, C, D – Agent (which requires the presence of the hepatitis B virus to form), Hepatitis E, F, and G. None of these are very yummy, and should be avoided at all costs.

The most common of the 7 is Hepatitis A. It is transmitted through the orofecal route, or in other words, contaminated food. This one is the easiest to contract, but it does not reach a chronic stage, so the body is able to build up an immunity against it by creating antibodies. An excellent preventative measure is to get a Hepatitis A vaccination. This will prevent infection of the virus.

Hepatitis has a close brother – Hepatitis B. This evil twin is also very easy to contract. you can get it through blood, tattoos, sexually, and you can even inherit it from your mother when you are born. Hep. B can be acute, however, some peoples’ bodies are unable to produce antibodies against it, thus turning an acute virus into a chronic one.

The easiest way to avoid contracting Hepatitis is simple cleanliness and vaccinations. click the link to my website at the bottom for more information on all forms of Hepatitis.
About the Author

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the article, this caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Tyler Brooker is the owner and operator of Hepatitis Attack – http://www.hepatitisattack.com, which is the best site on the internet for all Hepatitis related information.

Treating chronic mutational hepatitis B with Chinese medicine Vitalliver (Vigconic suppositories)

ZHANG GUAN HUA, LIANG CHAO, ZHENG WAN PIN

Chengdu University of TCM, Hepatitis Laboratory in the attached hospital of Chengdu University of TCM, Sichuan, China

Research Method:

Quantitative determination by contrasting HBV-DNA of cases before and after the treatment.

Number of cases: 25 (n)

Case Selection: Between the age of 16 and 65, in accordance with the diagnosis standards pf chronic Hepatitis B, with negative e antigen and positive e antibody, HBV-DNA > 1 104 cp/mL.

Detection Method: All the blood samples are detected by Sichuan Clinical Detection Center; PCR-ELISA quantitative determination is used within detection range of 1 104 – 1 107-8, HBV-DNA, unit of measurement is cp/mL.

Direction Plan: one suppository provided by Vigconic (International) Ltd. Bid. The course of treatment is six months, the tracing observation after withdrawal lasts six months.

Observation index:

1. HBV-DNA response after the treatment.
   
2. Lasting HBV-DNA response (six months after withdrawal).
   

Criterion of Therapeutic Effect:

1. If HBV-DNA volume 1 104 cp/mL: 4/25 (16%)
   
2. Lasting response:
   

HBV-DNA volume 1 104 cp/mL: 2/25 (8%)

Among the results of lasting response, 16 blood serum samples are detected through fluorimetric quantitative determination PCR by the instruments of PE.USD, H-7700 in the second attached hospital of Guangzhou Medical College. The result is in accordance with that in Sichuan Clinical Testing Center. (8 cases among it < 1 102 cp/mL). The testing range of this testing method is 1 102 - 1 107-8 cp/mL.

Conclusion

The reason for the repeatedly abnormal liver function of Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) patients lies in the repeatedly duplication of HBV after infection, which leads to fibrosis of liver, then cirrhosis and liver cancer. It is commonly accepted that if CHB shows the transformation of HBeAg/Anti-HBe, HBV-DNA becoming negative, liver function returning to normal state, the disease is relieved. However, parts of patients with the transformation of HBeAg/Anti-HBe still remain positive in HBV-DNA and the pathological change in the liver continues. Because HBV-DNA occurs promoter mutation in the anterior C section (1896 necleoside G-A variation) or in the C section (1762 nucleoside T variation, 1764 G-A variation), HBeAg cannot come into being. Therefore, the HBeAg in the patient s blood cannot be detected, while the virus can keep on duplicating and fixing itself. Through sequential assay of nucleic acid, it proves that promoter mutation appears in 30%-60% of HBeAg negative Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) in the anterior C section or in the C section. In some provinces and cities of the People of China, the percentage of promoter mutation appears in HBeAg negative Chronic Hepatitis B (CHB) in the anterior C section or in the C section is from 17.6% to 78.9%. Eight out of the 25 cases of our observation go through the sequential assay of nucleic acid carried out by the Department of Microbiology of the University of Hong Kong. It all proves to have HBV-DNA mutation. The chronic mutational Hepatitis B is infectious and apt to cause cirrhosis and liver cancer since the present medicines of antivirus and immuno-modulator do not produce the expected therapeutic effects.

Vitalliver suppository is made up from a formula of Chinese herbs, including Ginseng, Deer Horn, Cordyceps, Radix Astragali, Frudctus Cnidii, Semen Cuscutae, etc. The formula is mainly for strengthening the body resistant and primarily for reinforcing Kidney Qi, which produces good therapeutic effects in treating chronic mutational Hepatitis B. The mechanism is probably that through the regulating of immune system, the duplication of virus is inhibited and meanwhile the liver is protected, so it can produce a lasting therapeutic effect. No adverse reaction and severe accident happens during clinical observation, so it is safe for using. Vitalliver is bringing hopes to the treatment of chronic mutational Hepatitis B.

* The second stage of clinical trial would be carrying out by the Microbiology Department of the University of Hong Kong and Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

For more information, please visit: http://www.vigconic.com

Or, contact:

William Yip cs@vigconic.com

5/F, Cheung Wah Building, Sheung Heung Rd,

Kowloon, Hong Kong

Tel: 852-27656200

Fax: 852-27645314

Chengdu University of TCM, Hepatitis Laboratory in the attached hospital of Chengdu University of TCM, Sichuan, China

webmaster@vigconic.com

Hepatitis B is what we used to originally known as just simply serum hepatitis. Hep B has been recognized as this new name since World War II. The virus is responsible for current epidemics in parts of Asia and Africa. Recognized as endemic in China and various other parts of Asia, the Hepatitis B virus has infected over one third of the world’s current population.

Hepatitis B is in the Hepadnavirus family. Meaning that it consists of a proteinaceous core particle that has the viral genome inside of it in the form of double stranded DNA. It also has an outside lipid-based envelope that contains embedded proteins. These envelope proteins on the outside are involved in viral binding and release into susceptible cells. Where as the inner capsid refinds the DNA genome to a cell’s nucleus where it transcribes viral mRNAs. Although HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, and Hepatitus are not related they are both viruses that use reverse transcription process. This also include HTLV. Hepatitis B’s genome is DNA, and reverse transcription is one of the latter steps of the entire process which results in making new viral particles. HIV on the other hand has an RNA genome and reverse transcription is one of the first steps in replication of the virus.

Hepatitis B is most commonly transmitted through direct exposure to bodily fluids that contain the virus. This is a wide category but in most cases includes: – Re-using contaminated needles and syringes – Uncleanly Blood transfusions – Unprotected sexual contact – Direct transmission from mother to child during childbirth

The dominant mode of transmission depends largely on the prevalence of the disease in a given area. For example if areas such as North America drug abuse and unprotected sex are the primary mode of infection. Where as in areas such as such as China where Hepatitis B is very prevalent, the vertical transmission(mother to child) is the most common. A mother who is positive for the Hepatitis B surface virus has a 20% risk of passing the infection to her offspring during birth. That percentage can rise to as high as 90% if the mother is also infected with the hepatitis B e antigen.

The older a person is at the time of infection, the greater the risk that their body will not clear the infection. Hepatitis B infection can lead to a permanent inflammation of the liver, the result of this inflammation leads cirrhosis. These affects largely increase the likelyhood of developing liver cancer.
About the Author

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the article, this caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Hepatitis B Spot – http://www.hepatitis-b-spot.com, which is the best site on the internet for all Hepatitis B related information.

What is hepatitis? Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It is usually caused by a virus. There are several kinds of hepatitis. Some of these types affect humans but there are also other types that affect animals such as dogs and cats. Most people probably know of the types that affect humans, however.

What are some of the symptoms of hepatitis? If you have hepatitis, you will probably know that something is wrong. Symptoms include fever, nausea, headache, fatigue, muscle pain, loss of appetite and sometimes jaundice.

Hepatitis can be fatal but most people can recover when they get treatment. So how does a person get hepatitis? Well, it typically comes from an infected person but it depends on the type that you have.

Hepatitis type A is also called the Infectious Hepatitis and is called by a virus that is carried in human waste. It can be transmitted by contaminated food or coming in contact with someone with the virus. Hygiene is important and there is a vaccination for the disease.

Hepatitis B is also called Serum Hepatitis and is typically transmitted through the virus in blood, saliva or semen. This type can be transmitted through sexual contact or contact with the blood such as cuts, bites and contaminated needles. Blood transfusions can also spread this type of hepatitis and a pregnant mother can spread it to her child.

Hepatitis C is most often caused from blood transfusions and is not very common now since there are ways of testing and scanning the blood. It can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. There is also a type D or Delta Hepatitis that is a severe combination of the delta virus and hepatitis B. There are also types E and G.

Hepatitis is one of many reasons why you should not share needles or have unprotected sex. If you do think you may have hepatitis, you should seek help immediately.

About the author:

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest. Read more at www.hepatitis-help.info

Question : I HAVE a sibling with Hepatitis B and am looking for natural and safe remedies for him. Kindly advise.

Answer : HEPATITIS is an inflammation of the liver commonly due to five hepatitis viruses – A, B, C, D or E. In its early stages, the disease may be mistaken for flu, with fever, fatigue, nausea, diarrhoea, loss of appetite, muscle and joint aches. These are followed by the characteristic jaundice or yellowing of the eyes and skin due to a build-up of bile in the blood. Excessive bile can also cause severe itchiness and a darkening of urine.

Hepatitis A is transmitted through contaminated food prepared by infected food handlers. Many types of food can also be infected by sewage containing hepatitis A virus. Raw shellfish such as cockles are sometimes responsible.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood, semen, saliva and other body fluids. It is spread by blood transfusion, sharing of needles, sexual contact and other exposure to bodily fluids.

Hepatitis C is mostly transmitted through blood transfusion. For unknown reasons, people with alcoholic liver disease often have hepatitis C as well.

Hepatitis D & E occur only in people who already have infection with hepatitis B virus and it makes the hepatitis B infection more severe.

Follow a diet that is low in animal fats, oily fried foods and refined carbohydrates but high in dietary fibre like fruits and vegetables. The preferred methods of cooking are steaming, boiling, occasional stir-frying and grilling. All water should be boiled before drinking and if you are travelling, stick to bottled water.

Eat home-cooked food where you can be assured of hygiene and avoid hawker stalls. Have a separate set of eating and drinking utensils and these should be boiled before being used again.

Alcohol and medications that are potentially toxic to the liver must be avoided. You may check with your doctor before taking any medications, including non-prescription drugs.

Lecithin, being exceptionally rich in a compound called phosphatidylcholine, is excellent for optimum liver function. Regular intake of high phosphatidylcholine (35 per cent) has been shown to accelerate liver regeneration in the treatment of chronic liver disease resulting from viral infection, drug poisoning or excessive alcohol consumption.

Nutritional anti-free radicals such as beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, and minerals zinc and selenium are essential in protecting the liver from free radical damage. The B group vitamins are also important for liver health and have been known to shorten recovery time moderately. Milk Thistle and Dandelion have been traditionally recognised in restoring and maintaining liver health.

About the Author

www.medical-explorer.com

(NC)-No, not for hepatitis C. There are vaccines for hepatitis A and hepatitis B. To prevent further damage to your liver, your doctor may advise you to be vaccinated against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

Could I give hepatitis C to someone else?

Yes, as far as we know, once you have hepatitis C, you can always transmit it to someone else if they come in contact with your blood. If you have hepatitis C, you can’t donate blood. You should avoid sharing personal items like razors and toothbrushes, because the virus is spread through blood to blood contact.

Although the virus isn’t spread easily by sexual contact or from a mother to her unborn baby, the risk of transmitting the virus is not absent. Therefore, talk to your doctor first if you want to have children.

For more information on hepatitis C visit Health Canada’s Web site at www.healthcanada.ca/hepc.

About The Author

News Canada provides a wide selection of current, ready-to-use copyright free news stories and ideas for Television, Print, Radio, and the Web.

News Canada is a niche service in public relations, offering access to print, radio, television, and now the Internet media, with ready-to-use, editorial “fill” items. Monitoring and analysis are two more of our primary services. The service supplies access to the national media for marketers in the private, the public, and the not-for-profit sectors. Your corporate and product news, consumer tips and information are packaged in a variety of ready-to-use formats and are made available to every Canadian media organization including weekly and daily newspapers, cable and commercial television stations, radio stations, as well as the Web sites Canadians visit most often. Visit News Canada and learn more about the NC services.

I am Hepatitis C a form of hepatitis liver inflammation that is caused by a virus known on the street as HCV. Before HCV was discovered in 1989, they used to refer to me as a related name to my little brothers, “non-A-non-B hepatitus”. A laughing stock of the virus world, but that all changed in 1989. Approximately 15 to 20 percent of people are able to deal with me and develop immunity. That doesn’t speak for the rest, and also 15 to 20 percent of them that will show acute signs of the me, Hepatitus C.

It is known that for each 100 chronic Hepatitis C patients, 20 will develop liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis is a nasty scarring of the liver, which can progress into Liver cancer. I have infected over 180 million people around the world, and am now responsible for the majority of liver transplants, Hepatocellular carcinoma and also the major cause of death among HIV co-infected patients.

Most times, people that are carrier me in the chronic state, chronic hepatitis C, will have no symptoms. This doesn’t speak well for myself, but without further delay over time I can cause long term damage to the liver. This is due to my blood borne nature. I work slowly and severe liver damage may not develop until 10-40 years after my initial infection. Mixing things up, my symptoms vary based on each individual carrier. Often times they will resemble flu symptoms which include: – body aches – loss of appetite – headaches – diarrhea – fatigue – nausea – nightsweats – abdominal pain – upper right quadrant pain

Because, like I mentioned, these symptoms resemble the flue, most people are not aware that they have me until they visit a doctor and have a physical exam. Even then sometimes I can go unnoticed unless they have blood work done. Cases often exist, where a individuals will go to donate bllod or plasma, and will return positive results to a HCV test.

Needle sharing, drug sharing, and unprotected sex are just a few ways in which I can spread rampantly. It’s as simple as blood-to-blood contact. Wherever that exists I also exist. Things like piercings and tattoo needles are some of my favorites.

About the author:

Feel free to reprint this article as long as you keep the article, this caption and author biography in tact with all hyperlinks.

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Hepatitis C Spot – http://www.hepatitis-c-spot.com, which is the best site on the internet for all Hepatitis C related information.

Copyright 2006 Anne Wolski

Hepatitis is a highly infectious disease and can happen to people regardless of age. It does, however, occur more in young people and those who work in industries where they are handling contaminated material. Because young people are more inclined to be involved in risk-taking behaviors, it may explain why this disease predominately affects this age group.

The disease causes the liver to become inflamed and is caused by viruses transmitted via blood, saliva, or faeces. The two main viruses are hepatitis A and hepatitis B. there is also hepatitis C which is transmitted in a similar fashion to hepatitis B but occurs when neither the A or B virus is present. There is also hepatitis D, E and F though these are less common. Hepatitis D cannot cause disease but can cause a severe liver infection if contracted with hepatitis B.

The main transmission of hepatitis A is through contaminated food or water and is sometimes found in areas of poor sanitation and inadequate housing. It is only infectious during the incubation period and is not transmitted by carriers. It can also be transmitted through infected blood products.

Hepatitis B has a longer incubation period, sometimes lasting for several months. It is usually transmitted by infected blood, often because of blood transfusions or through the sharing of infected intravenous needles. Fortunately, the blood screening tests available in the West means that the transmission of this disease via blood transfusion is almost unheard of. However, the transmission via shared intravenous needles continues to be a problem. It can also be transmitted by non sterile tattoo needles and razor blades. Another mode of transmission is by sexual contact. If a pregnant woman contracts hepatitis B, the virus can infect her unborn child by getting into the fetal bloodstream.

Most hepatitis infections, either A or B, are quite mild but they leave chemical evidence in the blood and this shows up in blood tests. If the infection is severe enough to cause significant inflammation of the liver, it blocks the liver’s ability to eliminate the bile pigments. This then causes the bile to enter the circulatory system and leads to jaundice, a yellow tinge of the skin and the whites of the eyes. The patient often feels ill for some time before the jaundice becomes noticeable. There is pain in the upper right side of the abdomen and often there is pain similar to arthritis in the joints. There may also be a rash.

While the jaundice is obvious, the person often feels nauseated and vomits frequently. This normally lasts for no more than two weeks and the person is often fully recovered within six weeks. The person becomes a carrier if the virus is not eliminated from the body. While this does not cause great problems in many people, some develop chronic inflammation of the liver which then progresses to cirrhosis of the liver, an often fatal disease. Because there is no carrier state with hepatitis A, this is only a problem in hepatitis B or C.

Hepatitis can be simply diagnosed if by the typical symptoms when present. These can be confirmed by blood tests. When the patient has overcome the disease, antibodies are present in the blood. If there are no antibodies, the patient is still carrying the virus. A doctor may order blood tests or a liver biopsy if he suspects that the patient is developing chronic liver disease.

Not all hepatitis sufferers need to be hospitalized and often can be treated at home. Those at risk include expectant mothers, diabetics and the elderly and these groups are usually treated in hospital. Whether the patient is in hospital or at home, it is essential that separate cooking and eating utensils are used to avoid cross infection. Extra care needs to be taken with hygiene.

The sufferer should not take any medications during their illness and must not drink any alcohol. Alcohol acts as a poison on the liver so must be totally avoided for at least six months after having hepatitis.

The majority of hepatitis attacks are mild and are followed by complete recovery. Hepatitis can recur, but in such cases it is rarely caused by the same type of virus. It is, however, possible for patients who are carriers to suffer a relapse. If a person has had hepatitis, the best advice is never to drink alcohol again. Failing that, he or she should abstain from all alcoholic drinks for at least six months.

About the author:

Anne Wolski has worked in the health and welfare industry for more than 30 years. She is a co-director of http://www.magnetic-health-online.com an information portal with many interesting medical articles and also of http://www.pharmacybyweb.com which has online physicians who can help you with any questions you may have.