జర్నల్ ఆఫ్ లివర్

నైరూప్య

Entecavir in Severe Acute Hepatitis B

Pervaiz Majeed Zunga

An estimated 350 million persons worldwide are chronically infected with HBV [1]. The average estimated carrier rate of Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) in India is 4%, with a total pool of approximately 36 million carriers. Most of India’s carrier pool is established in early childhood, predominantly by horizontal spread due to crowded living conditions and poor hygiene. Acute and subacute liver failure is common complications of viral hepatitis in India and HBV is reckoned to be the etiological agent in 42% and 45% of adult cases, respectively. In conclusion, hepatitis B is a major public health problem in India and will continue to be until appropriate nationwide vaccination programmes and other control measures are established.