HEPATITIS B ; Avoid Infection Get Vaccinated

HEPATITIS B

Avoid Infection Get Vaccinated

What Is HBV ?

Hepatitis B virus is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. Chronic (long-lasting) hepatitis B can cause liver cell damage, which can lead to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and cancer.

images : medicalook.com

Hepatitis B is not a new disease in Indonesia. In Fact hepatitis B takes place in 5-10% of total popullation in Indonesia.This is mainly caused by a lack of public awareness of the disease.

So how do you get it?

HBV is spread through food or water by casual contact. The dissease is primarily transmitted through body fluids such as blood transfusion, during sexual intercourse, sharing syringes and an infected mother to child.

HBV virus is difficult to detect. The virus is able to survive for several weeks outside the human body and it attacks human without typical symptoms, so people often do not realise that they have been infected and infect others. Therefore, spreading of hepatitis B virus is very quick, reaching 100 times faster than HIV virus.

Symptoms of HBV can be classified as mild flu like illness, rapid fatique, body weakness, pain, abdominal pain, nausea and yellowfish skin and eyes.

What to do?

The good news is that hepatitis B is preventable through vaccination. A person can choose to be vaccinated and no longer have to worry about being infected with HBV.

With an estimated mortality rate of 5.000 per year prevention is better than cure as the vaccination can not help if the body has already been infected with HBV.

So vaccinate now before its too late!