KARACHI, July 8: Doctors at an awareness programme stressed the need for vaccination of children against hepatitis.

They were addressing the monthly awareness programme of Aga Khan University Hospital, Signs, Symptoms and Care programme on “hepatitis and dyspepsia” organised on Sunday.

Dr Khalid Mumtaz, gastroenterologist, said Hepatitis-A and E were the most common form of acute viral hepatitis.

According to him, it spreads through the ingestion of contaminated food or water, especially where unhygienic conditions allow water or food to become contaminated by human waste (the faecal-oral mode of transmission).

Hepatitis-A is usually more common among school goers particularly in the first decade of life. Hepatitis-E occurs more frequently in teenage, though both can occur at any age in endemic areas.

He said the symptoms of both the infections included generalised weakness, nausea, vomiting, and jaundice along with fever. In majority of cases, he said, hepatitis A and E could recover with symptomatic treatment. Hepatitis-E can be disastrous if it affects a pregnant woman with 20 to 25 per cent chances of developing acute liver failure and mortality.

Dr Mumtaz said after recovery from Hepatitis-A or E infection, a person developed immunity to the virus, meaning he or she had very low chances of the same infection again.

He recommended using boiled or filtered water for drinking and avoiding unhygienic food.—APP