42 million Indians carry Hepatitis B virus: Experts

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42 million Indians carry Hepatitis B virus: Experts

Published: Friday, Aug 5, 2011, 11:00 IST

By DNA Correspondent | Place: Chennai | Agency: DNA

India is all set to emerge as the global capital of the dreaded Hepatitis B

Virus (HBV), according to the team of doctors from MIOT Hospital in Chennai.

“Forty two million Indians suffer from chronic Hepatitis B infection. The

Hepatitis B Virus is responsible for 60% of liver cancer cases in India,” said

Dr Arul Prakash, leading gastroenterologist, MIOT Hospital.

He said that condition in India with reference to Hepatitis B vaccine is

shocking. “We found that not even one per cent of school children in India have

been vaccinated against HBV. This is more shocking since there are effective

vaccines available all over the world. Though a vaccine against HBV which was

developed in 1970 and we are yet to take HBV seriously,” said Dr Prakash.

According to Dr PVA Mohandas, director, MIOT Hospital, there are 400 million

people chronically infected by the HBV. “What is worrying is the fact that 40%

of these people will end up in cirrhosis and liver cancer,” said Dr Mohandas.

Team MIOT Hospital has unleashed a blitzkrieg to spread an awareness campaign

against the HBV, a disease Dr Mohandas describes as worse that HIV/AIDS.