Mumbai fails hepatitis B test

The theme for World Hepatitis Day which was observed on Sunday was lsquothis is hepatitis Know it Confront itrsquo Ironically a study conducted in the countryrsquos four major cities including Mumbai by testing 24225 blood samples of suspected hepatitis B cases reveals that this awareness is grievously lacking especially in the age group 3040 Significantly Mumbai recorded the highest number of positive samples with 2122 out of the total 5149 suspected patients being diagnosed with the disease For a better cause Actor Jackie Shroff launched a hepatitis awareness drive on World Hepatitis Day last week PicAtul Kamble Fourteen per cent of the samples tested positive for hepatitis B in the 2012 study It was observed as much as 48 per cent of the samples that tested positive for the disease were taken from people in the age group of 20 to 40 years According to experts this figure could indicate that the lack of awareness regarding hepatitis B vaccinations among this section of the population The study was conducted by Metropolis Healthcare in the cities of Bangalore Chennai Delhi and Mumbai While Mumbai topped the list Chennai followed with 701 positive samples out of the 10007 samples tested Bangalore had the lowest number of positive samples at 216 out of 3325 Delhi had 334 positive samples out of the 2371 testedu00a0 ldquoThe percentage of hepatitis B samples that tested positive in our labs across the country is higher as most of them were taken from patients who are suspected to have hepatitis B or those who have been admitted to the hospitalrdquo said Dr Sujata Dhanuka vice president of Metropolis Healthcare ldquoSome patients are told to undergo a Hepatitis B test as preoperative testing while the other patients whose samples were studied had symptoms of the disease or were pregnant women Thus it is not reflective of the general populationrdquo added Dr Dhanuka ldquoSeveral people are not vaccinated for this disease and though one reason is that this age group is more sexually active another is vertical transmission from the mother to the infant In many cases one discovers that expectant women mothers are carrying the hepatitis B virus as it tends to go undiagnosed for yearsrdquo explained Dr Dhanukau00a0 2122 Mumbai recorded the highest number of positive samples out of 5149 suspected patients being diagnosed with Hepatitis B Did you know Hepatitis B spreads through infectious blood vaginal fluids and semen much like AIDS The possible modes of transmission other than mother to child are sexual contact transfusion of infected blood and use of contaminated needles and syringesThe complications caused by hepatitis B are liver cirrhosis and other liver complications like scarring of the liver Other symptoms include swelling of the feet abdominal pain fever jaundice and dark urine Case Study Baliram Kadam 62 a Borivli resident had tested positive for hepatitis B in 1996 after he met with a road accident He was a regular blood donor before being diagnosed with the disease and was shocked to know he had tested positiveldquoBefore donating blood we would undergo tests and I never tested positive for the disease However before I met with the accident I underwent teeth extractions where the dentist had not sterilised the equipment through which I suspect I contracted the diseaserdquou00a0While Kadam underwent intermittent treatment for hepatitis B it was only in January this year that his symptoms worsenedu00a0Dr Aabha Nagral gastroenterologist and specialist in liver disease at Jaslok hospital said ldquoWe immediately put him on oral anti viral drugs as there was severe scarring of the liver and cirrhosis which could not be reversed He would have needed a liver transplant but luckily the oral antiviral drugs helped improve his condition and he will have to continue with themrdquou00a0She further added that earlier injectable antivirals were used but now with the help of oral antivirals patients can be stabilised and do not require a transplant ldquoOut of 100 patients suffering from hepatitis B around five to ten require treatment which is determined after thorough investigationsrdquo she addedu00a0