Written By: Pavitra Sampath | Published : December 29, 2014 1:17 PM IST
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan was recently named as the ambassador for the MCGM's (Municipal Campaign of Greater Mumbai) TB awareness campaign. Expressing his happiness at having headed the movement to eradicate polio in the country, Amitabh Bachchan tweeted his gratitude at having been chosen for the movement to beat TB in Mumbai. Being a survivor of TB himself, the star shared his experience and told others about how he was lucky to have timely and good treatment for TB.
Now, the star wants to start a campaign against hepatitis B. According to a tweet he recently posted on his Twitter account, Amitabh Bachchan said that he was eager to spearhead the campaign against the deadly disease and had already met a few doctors from the committee. He also added that the doctors and he will 'strategize, detect and cure' as soon as possible.
What is hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. It is a major global health problem and the most serious type of viral hepatitis that can cause chronic liver disease and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. Worldwide, an estimated two billion people have been infected with the hepatitis B virus and more than 240 million have chronic (long-term) liver infections. About 600 000 people die every year due to the acute or chronic consequences of hepatitis B.
What causes the condition?
The hepatitis B virus is transmitted by direct blood-to-blood contact or semen and vaginal fluid with an infected person. In developing countries such as India the common modes of transmission are as follows:
What are the symptoms of this condition?
In most cases people infected with the virus do not notice any symptoms during the early stages of the disease. But in latter stages, the symptoms include:
Apart from that, in some people, the hepatitis B virus can also cause a chronic liver infection that can later develop into cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. You may also like to read more about hepatits B.
Image source: Getty Images
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