At present there are more than a million of these silent carriers in this country, and their number is growing by two to three percent annually. Consequently, authorities recommend that all children and anyone with a high risk of exposure be vaccinated against this dangerous virus. Chronic carriers usually do not develop chronic hepatitis. If it does develop, however, cirrhosis and primary cancer of the liver can be long-term consequences. An estimated 4,000 people in the United States die from hepatitis B-related cirrhosis annually.
Carriers are many times more likely to get liver cancer than are non-carriers.
Chronic cases of hepatitis B and C are now being treated with interferon, a biotech medicine derived from the human immune system. The gallbladder stores bile, a substance the liver produces to aid digestion. The most common disorder of the gallbladder is the formation of gallstones. These stones often get stuck in the bile ducts that lead from the gallbladder to the first part of the small intestine, causing the gallbladder to become inflamed. Gallbladder surgery, in which the entire organ is removed, is one of the most common operations in this country.