100,000 Iranians Contact Hepatitis B Annually
October 16, 2000 - 0:0
TEHRAN The Head of Research Center for Liver and Digestive Diseases, Dr. Reza Malekzadeh said here on Sunday 100,000 Iranians suffer from hepatitis B annually. Of this, he said, 10,000 have to be hospitalized.
Malekzadeh said, "Nearly 18 million Iranians are contaminated by hepatitis virus, less than 2 million are carriers of the virus and almost 300,000 are suffering from hepatitis in Iran." He said 50 percent of those suffering from hepatitis in Iran have contacted the illness from their mothers since women are more resistant to the disease.
Dr. Malekzadeh said Iran is among the countries in which infants are vaccinated against hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is the main cause of jaundice and liver cancer.
350 million people are currently carrying hepatitis virus in the world and one million people die of the disease every year.
World Health Organization (WHO) has designated October 19 as the International Day of Hepatitis B.
(IRNA)
Malekzadeh said, "Nearly 18 million Iranians are contaminated by hepatitis virus, less than 2 million are carriers of the virus and almost 300,000 are suffering from hepatitis in Iran." He said 50 percent of those suffering from hepatitis in Iran have contacted the illness from their mothers since women are more resistant to the disease.
Dr. Malekzadeh said Iran is among the countries in which infants are vaccinated against hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is the main cause of jaundice and liver cancer.
350 million people are currently carrying hepatitis virus in the world and one million people die of the disease every year.
World Health Organization (WHO) has designated October 19 as the International Day of Hepatitis B.
(IRNA)