What is happening locally?
§ Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust has a number of patients from across Devon and Cornwall who are willing to talk to the media about living with Hepatitis. Please call the Press and Communications Office on 0845 155 8207 to arrange an interview.
§ There will be information stands outside Greenbank Restaurant on Level 7 at Derriford Hospital
§ The Eddystone Trust is showing a documentary called 'Louie, Me and Hep C' for free on Monday in Plymouth and in Torbay on Wednesday. Visit www.eddystone.org.uk or call on 01752 257077 to book seats.
Monday 19 May 2008 is World Hepatitis Awareness Day.
It is estimated that globally 1 in 12 people have viral hepatitis. In the UK there are an estimated 300,000 infected cases most of whom remain undiagnosed currently. The Hepatology Department at Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust receives more than 150 new referrals each year for hepatitis C infected patients.
World Hepatitis Awareness Day aims to raise awareness of both Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.
The message is clear: "If you are at risk - get tested". This is because the earlier you are diagnosed as having hepatitis, the more effective your treatment is likely to be.
Hepatitis C is often asymptomatic, earning it the reputation as a 'silent killer' - as many people may be experiencing severe liver damage without knowing.
Dame Anita Roddick (businesswoman, environmentalist and human rights campaigner who founded The Body Shop who died in 2007) said: "I had no idea I had the virus. There was nothing to even make me suspect it. It showed up by chance, [but] I'd had it for over 30 years". She then added that "the beginning of health is to know your disease".
Derriford Hospital , Plymouth cares for patients from first diagnosis and throughout their treatment. Derriford Hospital is home to a research centre for Hepatitis and has a significant clinical trials programme that ensures patients have access to the most effective new treatments.
Hepatology Nurse Specialist Amanda Clements said: "The earlier we can get people tested, make the right diagnosis and start treatment, the better. The impact viral hepatitis can have differs from person to person, for example depending on whether that have any other health conditions, how long they have had the virus and what strain they have. But the one thing all patients have in common is that the sooner they are treated, the more effective their treatment is likely to be. In some cases, we can give successful treatment which means that patients are cleared of the virus; in others we offer ongoing treatment."
Hepatitis C - The Facts
Hepatitis C is a virus that can cause serious damage to the liver. It's mainly spread through contact with the blood of an infected person.
Rarely, the disease is passed via other body fluids, for example during unprotected sex with an infected person or from an infected mother to her baby before or during birth.
But you can't catch hepatitis C in many of the ways that you can catch other viruses. You can't catch it by kissing, hugging or being close to an infected person. Nor can you contract it by sharing toilets, crockery or kitchen utensils with them.
There's another important fact about hepatitis C: most people infected with the virus don't know they have it. The virus can lie undetected in an infected person for years. It can silently cause serious liver damage over two or three decades before symptoms appear. By that time some of those infected will face complete liver failure.
In England , it's estimated that 200,000 people have long-term infection.
What happens if I am infected with hepatitis C? In around one in four people who become infected with hepatitis C, the virus clears naturally within two to six months. The rest will develop chronic infection. Of these:
* Many will develop no symptoms and live a normal lifespan. * Others will eventually develop some symptoms of liver damage, including weight loss, muscle aches and fatigue. * One in five will eventually develop cirrhosis (severe scarring) of the liver, which can lead to liver cancer or liver failure and the need for a liver transplant.
Who is at Risk? Hepatitis C is mainly spread through direct contact with the blood of an infected person. Currently, the greatest risk of infection in this country is through sharing blood-contaminated needles and drug-injecting equipment.
If you've ever shared equipment for injecting drugs, even if it was a long time ago and you only did it once, you could be at risk of hepatitis C.
But there are other ways you can contract the virus. If you received a blood transfusion before September 1991 or blood products before 1986 you may be at risk of infection. If you had an operation before 1991 you may have received blood and could be at risk of infection. Today, all blood and blood products are screened for the virus.
Less common ways the virus is passed on include:
* Infected mother to baby, before or during birth. * Unprotected sex with someone who has the virus. * Medical and dental treatment abroad, where unsterile equipment may have been used. * Tattooing, ear or body piercing, or acupuncture with unsterile equipment. * Sharing razors, toothbrushes or other toiletries that may have been contaminated with infected blood.
Get tested If you think you may have been exposed to hepatitis C, ask your GP for advice on whether you should be tested.
A simple blood test will indicate whether you've been infected at any time in the past. A positive result will not necessarily mean you still have the virus: your body may have cleared it. You'll need more tests to determine whether you're still infected.
A doctor or nurse will give you information and advice before you decide to take the test and after the test has been carried out. This will give you the opportunity to ask any questions and ensure you have all the relevant information.
Where can I go for a test? Contact your GP, drug treatment service or local sexual health/GUM clinic for free, confidential advice. For details of local GUM clinics, look in your telephone directory or visit the Playing Safely website (see Useful links)
What if the test is positive? If the test is positive you'll usually be referred to a specialist who'll carry out further tests to see if you're still infected with the virus. It may also be necessary to have further tests to determine how much the virus has damaged your liver. The results of these tests will help the specialist decide whether you'd benefit from drug treatment.
What if the test is negative? If the test is negative, that means you're not currently infected with hepatitis C. However, the virus can take several months to develop, so if you've recently been at risk of infection you should return for a repeat test.
For more information see: www.nhs.uk/hepc
Hepatitis B - The Facts
Hepatitis B is a virus which spreads through the blood and bodily fluids of an infected person. Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than HIV, with many people not even realising they have been infected with the virus. This is because symptoms may not develop immediately, or at all. The incubation period (time from coming into contact with the virus to developing the infection) is between one and six months. A blood test is carried out to detect the virus.
The virus is present in body fluids such as blood, saliva, semen and vaginal fluid. It can be passed from person to person, such as through unprotected sex (without using a condom) or by sharing needles to inject drugs. Infected mothers can also transmit the virus to their baby during childbirth (often without the woman being aware that she is infected).
The hepatitis B virus can go on to cause a chronic (long-term) illness, which follows an acute infection. This is very common in babies and young children, but it can also occur in adults. If you develop chronic hepatitis B, you may remain well, but you may pass on the virus because you are a carrier. Symptoms may come and go, or you may develop serious liver damage.
The occurrence of hepatitis B is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, south east Asia, and the Pacific Islands , such as the Hawaiian Islands, the Solomon Islands , and Fiji . The lowest incidence of hepatitis B is found in Australia , New Zealand , northern and western Europe, and North America . There are approximately 350 million carriers of the virus worldwide.
There is a vaccine available to protect against hepatitis B.
For further information please contact: Plymouth Hospitals Trust Press and Communications Office, on ( 0845 155 8207