The history of infection by hepatitis viruses (A, B, C, D and E): a «persistent pandemic»

Authors

Keywords:

hepatitis, chronic infection, cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, sustained virological response.

Abstract

Hepatitis viral infection (A, B, C, D and E) still poses a global health problem, causing chronic infection in around 350 million people and resulting in more than 1 million deaths per year, mainly due to cirrhosis and/or hepatocellular carcinoma. The history of the viruses involved is fascinating and dates back thousands of years, to the first descriptions of jaundice. After years of research, an extensive knowledge has been obtained of the biology of the viruses involved and efficient vaccines (A, B) have been generated as well as treatments that control their infection (B, D). The main challenge is to find therapies that eradicate the B virus from infected hepatocytes and to discover solutions for chronic E infection. In the case of hepatitis C virus, this story may have a happy ending as combined treatments eradicate it in 98% of the treated patients, generating a scenario of hope that could lead, for the first time since the publication of the genome of this virus in 1989, to its possible elimination in the coming years.

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Issue

Vol. 74 (2024)

Section

Articles

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