Implications of traditional medicine in the treatment of Hepatitis A in Kerala.

Introduction: The recent outbreaks of Hepatitis A in Kerala are suggestive of decrease in endemicity as most adults were not exposed during the childhood. In allopathic system of medicine, there is no established treatment for Hepatitis A and hence most people tend to rely on the alternate systems of medicine. The study was aimed at identifying the burden of Hepatitis A in the locality and to uncover the degree of dependence of the people on traditional systems of medicine.