Prevention of Viral Hepatitis

Prevention is an important aspect of disease control. For hepatitis prevention a good hygiene and good habits play important role.

The patient should avoid salivary transmission to others by avoiding kissing, spitting, sharing food, cigarettes or utensils and sexual contact.

Infected stools and urine in Hepatitis A and E must be disposed off carefully.

Another method of protection is immunization against the disease.

Immunization

Hepatitis A

All immune globulin (Ig) preparations contain anti-HAV. It should be given within 2 weeks of contact in the dose of 0.02 ml/kg. For travelers a dose 0.06 ml/kg should be given every 6 months.

Now vaccination of hepatitis A is also available and even included in national vaccination schedule.

Hepatitis B

A vaccine for active immunization has been prepared from HBsAg carrier serum as well as by genetic engineering from recombinant yeast. For pre-exposure prophylaxis, Hepatitis Vaccine must be given at 0, 1 and 6 months interval. The dose is 20 mcg for immunocompromised adults and 10 mcg for infants and children under 10 years.

For post-exposure cases, a combination of HBIG (fo rapid achievement of high circulating titre of anti-HBs) and hepatitis B vaccine (for long lasting immunity) is given. For perinatal exposure of infants of HBsAg positive mothers, HBIG 0.5 ml should be given in thigh at birth followed by Hepatitis B vaccine 10 mcg started with a week of birth and repeated at 1 and 6 months.

For percutaneous exposure a single dose of 0.06 ml/kg of HBIG is given followed by three doses of hepatitis B vaccine. Usually patients retain protective levels for 5 years after complete vaccination.

c. Delta hepatitis: There is no immunoprophylaxis to prevent delta superinfection. Susceptible persons are vaccinated with Hepatitis B vaccine.

d. Non-A Non-B Hepatitis: IG prophylaxis in this hepatitis is not known to be beneficial and is not recommended.