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Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology
October 12 , 2020
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- Two American scientist Harvey J Alter and Charles M Rice and a British scientist Michael Houghton were awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine or Physiology.
- The award has been conferred to them for the discovery of the hepatitis C virus.
- The trio’s work helped explain a major source of blood-borne hepatitis that couldn’t be explained by the hepatitis A and B viruses.
- Due to their discovery, highly sensitive blood tests for the virus are now available and these have essentially eliminated post-transfusion hepatitis in many parts of the world, greatly improving global health.
- Their discovery has allowed the rapid development of antiviral drugs directed at hepatitis C and for the first time in history, the disease can now be cured.
About Hepatitis:
- Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver.
- The condition can be self-limiting or can progress to fibrosis (scarring), cirrhosis or liver cancer.
- Hepatitis viruses are the most common cause of hepatitis but other infections, toxic substances and auto immune diseases can also cause hepatitis. There are five main types of hepatitis viruses namely A, B, C, D and E.
- Hepatitis A and E are typically caused by ingestion of contaminated food or water.
- Hepatitis B, C and D are transmitted through unsafe blood transfusions or contaminated needles/syringes, sexual-transmission or even mother-to-child transmission.
- Hepatitis A and B are preventable by vaccine.
- There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C.
- However, it can be treated with antiviral medication.
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