Lamivudine, that is currently used with other drugs to treat AIDS patients, was recently recommended by a United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) committee for treatment of chronic hepatitis. It has also been introduced in several countries including New Zealand, Philippines and Pakistan, Sarin said.

The oral drug, which stops virus from multiplying, has been found to have minimal side-effects and is less costly than Interferon treatment for hepatitis-B patients. Each Lamivudine tablet costs Rs 50-60 compared to an Interferon injection that costs about Rs 700.

``Availability of such safe and powerful drugs offers a ray of hope for a lot of patients with hepatitis B,'' he said.

In a recent conference on hepatitis in the Capital, Sarin said that there should no longer be a distinction between people harbouring the hepatitis A virus but showing no symptoms (known as carriers) and those with typical symptoms. ``The term carrier gives a false sense of security and complacency that the person is not suffering from the disease,'' Sarin said.

Carriers eventually develop liver cirrhosis and liver cancer and should, therefore, be considered as chronic hepatitis-B patients, he said. All persons with the hepatitis virus should be followed up regularly every six to 12 months with tests for liver function tests, he added.

Ultrasound tests, liver function tests and regular chemical and blood screening for evidence of any underlying liver disease should also be regularly conducted for hepatitis B patients.

An added complication on the hepatitis scenario is emergence of mutations in the virus. Roger Williams, an expert from the US reported that more than 60 per cent of hepatitis B in his country could be due to some mutation in the virus.

``Similar problems of mutant forms of hepatitis B virus are increasingly being recognised in India. Such forms are difficult to diagnose and treat,'' Sarin said.

Studies at the G.B. Pant hospital have shown hepatitis B virus mutants in over 25 per cent of the cases. A factor that is worrying hepatitis specialists in India is the manner in which the disease is spreading. While in the West, the most common cause of acquiring the infection is intravenous drug abuse or homosexuality; in India, the most common cause is prolonged contact with hepatitis-B patients.