The endemic nature of the disease in most parts of the world, is evident for a large number of chronic liver diseases of the world. The major factors for the percentage prevalence of the disease around the world include transfusion of the unscreened blood for the disease, injecting drug use, un safe surgical procedures, repeated use of the contaminated syringes, and tattooing. There is a variation in the prevalence of the disease in different regions, and the cultural and social factors may influence the prevalence of the disease.
The the cultural and social factors greatly influence the epidemiology of the disease. In the developed countries these include injecting drug use, transfusion of unscreened blood of the disease, and sexual activity of the high risk groups. In contrast, the major reasons for the transmission of the disease in the developing countries incude unsafe health care practices, and contaminated blood. Sexual transmission of the disease is higher with persons harbouring acute infection who resort to sexual practices that are unsafe.
The mode of transmission of the disease in developed countries is higher by this way according to the reports from various research studies. In the developing countries many other cultural factors such as human activities rather than the unsafe sex play a major role in increasing the prevalence of the disease. The exposure of blood on the skin or blood-derived body is one mode of infection that has been clearly-demonstrated its association with infection.
Some of the human activities that make a measurable contribution to the disease mostly in the developing countries include intra nasal drug use, religious or cultural practices such as ritual scarification, circumcision, acupuncture, and cupping. The cosmetic procedures prevalent in both the developed and developing countries that include tattooing and body piercing are the factors that are responsible for the spread of the disease. In the developing countries, the other significant risk factors for the transmission of the disease include dental procedures and surgical operations with the contaminated medical equipment.
In a research study in Australia, it was found that it was the belief of the people that the damage by the infection is less than that of HIV. Education on the transmission of this disease is insufficient as many of the people believe that the disease transmission is through dirt. Many people are unaware of the mode of transmission. The behaviour of the injecting drug users is risky as they are very unsure about the issues surrounding the disease prevalence.
The people are unaware of the complexity of the disease, and the chance of infection and re-infection that needs a clear explanation about the disease. The prevalence of the infection in the developing countries is lower when compared to the percentage prevalence in the industrialized nations of the west. Along with the factors that contribute for the spread of the disease in the developing nations, genotype is an important factor that has its role in the transmission of the disease.