Hepatitis B Already Global Epidemic

[Guest guest]

Hepatitis B Already Global Epidemic

By Carol Pearson, Washington, 07 September 2007

Hepatitis B is caused by a virus that infects the liver, causing

disease that can lead to a deadly cancer. The World Health

Organization calls hepatitis B a serious global public health problem.

Many people who have it, even in the United States, are completely

unaware they are infected. VOA's Carol Pearson has more.

The World Health Organization estimates that two billion people

worldwide are infected with hepatitis B -- far more than the 40

million people living with HIV/AIDS. Of those who are infected with

hepatitis B, more than 300 million have a chronic or lifelong

infection that puts them at risk of developing cancer or cirrhosis of

the liver. High rates of hepatitis B can be found in much of the

developing world. But western countries, including the United States,

are also affected.

Chiu is a software developer in San Francisco, California.

" And I had a really bad stomachache again. So this time it was so

bad, I had to go to the emergency room. So they gave me some medicine

and they did some scans afterward and that's how I found out. "

Chiu had a cancerous tumor half the size of his liver, but it had not

spread, and the tumor was successfully removed. His cancer was a

result of having chronic hepatitis B.

San Francisco and other cities in the U.S. with large numbers of Asian

immigrants have high rates of hepatitis B and liver cancer. Many

people do not know they have chronic hepatitis B.

Dr. So is trying to change that. He is the director of the

Asian Liver Center at Stanford University. " We call hepatitis B a

silent killer because usually those who are infected feel perfectly

healthy, " he says.

Hepatitis B can be easily detected through a blood test. A simple

vaccine can provide lifelong protection. Dr. So says, with hepatitis

B, it is important to have an early diagnosis. If someone does test

positive, treatment is available. " There are now treatments as simple

as taking a pill a day that could reduce the risk of developing liver

cancer and liver disease. "

Hepatitis B can be spread by contact with contaminated needles and

through sex.

Mothers can pass it to their babies during childbirth. That is how

Chiu contracted the disease. Seven years after his surgery, he is

still cancer free. " So far, so good. No recurrence at all. I want to

keep it that way. "

In the United States, as in other countries, there is no screening

program for immigrants and no funding for an adult vaccination

program. The Hepatitis Foundation International is an organization

dedicated to the eradication of this disease. The Foundation says

hepatitis B is already a global epidemic, despite the fact that a

relatively cheap and effective vaccine is available.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-09-07-voa62.cfm