World Hepatitis Day 2010

12 May 2010

Health professionals in Yorkshire and the Humber are urging more people to come forward for testing and treatment, as many existing hepatitis infections remain undiagnosed, and many people testing positive for the infection in the region have still to access treatment.

Today is World Hepatitis Day and health professionals in Yorkshire and the Humber are urging more people to come forward for testing and treatment, as many existing hepatitis infections remain undiagnosed, and many people testing positive for the infection in the region have still to access treatment.

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver and can be caused by several viral infections including hepatitis A, B, C and E. Many individuals with hepatitis B, and particularly type C, are unaware that they have become infected with the virus because signs and symptoms are rarely present in the early years of infection.

Dr Autilia Newton, Regional Hepatitis Lead at Health Protection Agency (HPA) Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “Liver disease caused by viral infections is largely preventable and yet new infections are still continuing to occur, with many existing infections remaining undiagnosed.

“Currently, the greatest risk of contracting hepatitis B and C in the UK is through sharing equipment for injecting drugs. Sharing injecting equipment, even on a one-off basis, or a long time ago, could place an individual at risk of hepatitis. However, individuals who don’t inject drugs but share other equipment, for example when using cocaine or mephedrone, also risk contracting the virus. Also, hepatitis is more prevalent in the South Asian communities who have often acquired their infections via other routes. Others may have acquired their infections via blood transfusion in the UK more than two decades earlier, before the introduction of routine screening of blood for the virus in 1991.”

Nationally, the Department of Health has recently established a Clinical Director to lead on the development of a National Liver Strategy to tackle the rise of liver disease. In Yorkshire and the Humber, the regional HPA and NHS are working collaboratively to develop innovative new ways in which health professionals can respond more effectively to Hepatitis.

Cathie Gillies, Regional Project Manager for the Yorkshire and Humber Improvement Partnership which is tasked with the project, said: “We’ve been working closely with a range of partners such as the National Treatment Agency, Drug Action Teams, local hospitals, prisons, drug services and service users to review how we can further improve services offered to hepatitis patients, right from awareness raising and prevention through to testing, treatment and post-treatment. Today, local NHS teams and other partners will come together in a number of events being held across the region to raise awareness of hepatitis to mark World Hepatitis Day 2010.

“The Yorkshire and Humber Improvement Partnership is currently looking at how we can improve services that will make a real difference to patients. People affected by the infection play a huge role in identifying these improvements and feedback provided by patients through local support groups will prove useful in shaping future services in this area.”

Dr Andrew Clark, Deputy Director of Public Health at NHS Yorkshire and the Humber, said: “It’s important that health professionals continue their efforts to raise awareness of the risks associated with hepatitis infection and encourage more people to come forward for testing so that we can prevent more people from suffering needlessly from liver disease in the future.

“Although there are vaccinations to protect against hepatitis A and B, there is currently no vaccine to protect against hepatitis C and E. This is why simple measures such as using sterile injecting equipment and not sharing personal items like toothbrushes and razors are important to minimise your chances of being exposed.

“Many hepatitis infections can be treated successfully or prevented from occurring in the first place. If people think they may have been exposed to one of the viruses, they should contact their GP and request a test.”

The advice comes as latest figures released by the Health Protection Agency (HPA) show reported cases of hepatitis C infection in England have increased by 4.5% from 8,196 cases reported in 2008 to 8,563 cases in 2009. This type of hepatitis infection is a blood-borne virus which if left untreated can eventually result in chronic liver disease, liver failure or death.

Ends

Notes to Editors

Laboratory reports of hepatitis C infection in England, 2005- 2009: The work of the HPA includes monitoring trends in hepatitis C at a national level and working with other agencies through a network of local leads to improve services for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis.
Further information: The Health Protection Agency’s latest Hepatitis C annual report is available at: http://www.hpa.org.uk/web/HPAwebFile/HPAweb_C/1259152221464
NHS Choices Hepatitis C website (information on what hepatitis is, how people contract it or put themselves at risk, and how you can get treated) http://www.nhs.uk/hepatitisc/Pages/default.aspx
World Hepatitis Day (site of the World Hepatitis Alliance) http://www.worldhepatitisalliance.org/default.aspx
The Hepatitis Trust, a charity which provides information and support on hepatitis C. http://www.heptrust.org.uk and the British Liver Trust http://www.britishlivertrust.org.uk/home.aspx
Hepatitis is the swelling or inflammation of the liver. The most common causes of hepatitis are viral infections, such as hepatitis C. Some of the other main causes of the liver disease include alcohol and obesity.
Other groups at risk of infection include those who have received a blood transfusion before September 1991 or blood products before 1986 in the UK, as well as those who originate from countries where hepatitis C is endemic. Less common ways to become infected include:
- from infected mother to baby before or during birth
- having medical and dental treatment abroad, where unsterile equipment may have been used
- tattooing or body piercing where unsterile equipment may have been used
- sharing razors or toothbrushes that may have been contaminated with blood from someone who is infected
- unsafe sex
The World Health Organization estimates that 170 million people worldwide are infected with hepatitis C. More people are affected worldwide by hepatitis than HIV (which affects an estimated 33 million people worldwide) but in the majority of cases the infection goes undiagnosed and untreated. In the UK, it is estimated that around 185,000 individuals are infected with hepatitis C, at least 130,000 of them in England.
Initiatives to help fight the infection have included the ‘Get tested. Get treated’ campaign launched last year to target former injecting drug users together with a campaign targeting the South Asian community, who are at increased risk of infection and who may have acquired their infections via other routes. Other work on a national level to tackle hepatitis C and other causes of liver disease has included creating the new position of National Clinical Director, who will lead on the development of a national liver strategy.

Issued by Charlotte Farrar
Charlotte.farrar@hpa.org.uk
0113 284 0618
07810 684 104

Last reviewed: 15 November 2010