Life

Protect yourself from hepatitis and stop the spread, urges PHA

Tomorrow is World Hepatitis Day and the Public Health Agency is urging people who are worried that they may have been exposed to get tested as early as possible, writes Joanne Sweeney

There were 140 new cases of hepC and 90 cases of hepB diagnosed in Northern Ireland in 2015
There were 140 new cases of hepC and 90 cases of hepB diagnosed in Northern Ireland in 2015 There were 140 new cases of hepC and 90 cases of hepB diagnosed in Northern Ireland in 2015

HEPATITIS has infected 400 million people around the globe but as World Hepatitis Day is marked tomorrow, the message to people living in Northern Ireland is that the further spread of the disease can be prevented with early testing and diagnosis.

Viral hepatitis is a group of infectious diseases known as hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.

The two main types of hepatitis are B and C and they lead to chronic disease in hundreds of millions of people.

Hepatitis kills 4,000 people every day worldwide and while it’s not very common in Northern Ireland, there were around 140 new cases of hepatitis C (hepC) and 90 cases of hepatitis B (hepB) diagnosed here in 2015.

The diagnosis of hepC patients has stayed the same over the past few years; however there were less new cases of hepB last year, reducing from around 120 to 90 on the previous year.

Together they are the most common cause of liver cirrhosis and cancer worldwide.

The hepatitis B and C viruses are spread by contact with blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. HepB is normally passed from an infected mother to baby while hepC is normally associated with the sharing of needles from person to person, or from contact with infected blood in areas of the world such as through drug use or from body piercing or tattooing if non-sterile needles are used.

Stars such as Lou Reed from the Velvet Underground and singer Natalie Cole and actress Pamela Anderson are among those who found out later in their lives that they had contracted the disease when they were younger.

According to the region’s expert on the disease, Dr Lucy Jessop: “In Northern Ireland, new infections with hepatitis B tend to be more often from sexual contact and these would have been infected within the last six months.”

The consultant has been heading up the Public Health Agency’s campaigns on communicable diseases for the last two years and is urging that anyone who may be worried that they have contacted the disease to come forward to be tested.

With the advance of treatment, now 90 per cent of people with hepC can be cured as well as up to 40 per cent of those with hepB.

“The good news is that these infections can be prevented from further spread,” she said.

"The Public Health Agency is encouraging people who think they may be at risk of hepatitis B or C to get tested in order to prevent the spread.

"Both hepatitis B and C are diseases that people can have for many years without developing any symptoms. However, they may be passed on to other people during this time and can lead to liver damage (cirrhosis) and liver cancer."

Dr Jessop stresses that the disease can be treated if diagnosed early enough.

“Hepatitis is a disease that many people are unaware that they have it for years and many people are unaware of how they came to get it so the origins in Northern Ireland are very variable. Some of it may be down to drug use where hepB is very common in some African and Asian countries and it can be passed on unwittingly from mother to baby.

“Despite not being common in Northern Ireland, hepatitis B and C are extremely serious, potentially life-threatening infections.

“Hepatitis C is more commonly associated with sharing needles or equipment for injecting drugs. It can also be spread by having had a tattoo or body piercing using non-sterile equipment as well as injecting drugs.

“We are encouraging people to come forward for testing if they could potentially be at risk of having contracted hepatitis – for example, if they have ever injected drugs, even if this was only once or some time ago.

“Testing is also recommended if you were born in, or had a blood transfusion in, a higher risk country, which includes Eastern Europe, many parts of Asia, Africa and South America.”

The PHA advise that people can reduce their risk of infection by:

:: Practising safer sex.

:: Avoiding getting tattoos abroad where hygiene standards may not be good.

:: Not sharing personal materials that may come into contact with blood (for example, needles, razors, toothbrushes, nail clippers) Injecting equipment can be obtained from various needle-exchange sites across Northern Ireland to reduce the risk.

:: Getting vaccinated against hepatitis B if you are in a risk group (there is no available vaccine for hepatitis C; however, treatment for hepatitis C is improving all the time).

If you’re worried about hepatitis B or C talk to your GP about getting tested. For more information see www.worldhepatitisday.org and www.hepbandcni.net

The PHA website also has information on hepatitis at www.publichealth.hscni.net/directorate-public-health/hepatitis

And at:

Hepatitis B - http://www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/hepatitis-b-could-i-be-risk-english-and-13-translations

Hepatitis C - http://www.publichealth.hscni.net/publications/hepatitis-c-could-i-be-risk-english-and-6-translations