Roche Diagnostic Centre says untreated hepatitis B and C can lead to cancer as well as damaging the affected person’s liver.
Mr Mubarak Gyedu, a staff of the centre’s diabetes department, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja.
Gyedu, who described hepatitis as an inflammation of the liver, added that the condition can be self-limiting or can progress to fibrosis (scarring) and liver cancer, among others.
NAN reports that hepatitis B and C are liver diseases caused by virus. It makes the liver swollen and further hinders it from functioning properly.
Differentiating between hepatitis B and C, the expert B as more infectious and can be transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen or other body fluid, while C could only be transmitted through contact with infected person’s blood.
Gyedu said some of the risk factors include living and sharing needles with an infected person, sexual intercourse and mother to child, among others.
He advised the public against tattooing or piecing any part of their body with sharp objects as well as practicing unsafe sex, adding that intercourse must be through the use of condom.
“Hepatitis B, C and D usually occur as a result of contact with infected body fluids.
“Common modes of transmission of these viruses include receipt of contaminated blood or blood products.
“Invasive medical procedures using contaminated equipment and for hepatitis B transmission could be from mother to baby at birth, from family member to child, and also by sexual contact.
“You can protect yourself against hepatitis B by avoiding sharing personal care items such as razors, toothbrushes, among others.
“Consider the risks if you are thinking about tattooing or piecing any part of your body and do not donate blood, organs or tissue if you have hepatitis B, C,’’ he advised.
He urged healthcare providers and public safety workers to take hepatitis B vaccination as well as imbibe routine barrier precautions when handling needles and other sharp objects.
Gyedu further advised pregnant women to test their blood for hepatitis B to ascertain their status, adding that such measures will in a long way prevent the newborn baby from being infected. (NAN)