World Hepatitis Day is July 28.
Close to 300 million people around the world live with a hepatitis B infection.
It is potentially life-threatening and is spread through blood or body fluids from an infected person.
What is
it?
Hepatitis
B is a liver disease caused by a virus. It is the leading cause of
liver cancer.
What are the
symptoms?
Symptoms
include tiredness, poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, stomach and
joint pain, dark-coloured urine and light-coloured stool and
yellowing of eyes and skin.
Who is at
risk?
Activities
such as unprotected sex, sharing needles, tattooing or acupuncture
put people at increased risk. In some countries, medical
treatments and blood products may also be a source of infection.
Is
there a vaccine to help prevent illness?
Yes,
there is a vaccine available for all ages. A
vaccine series against hepatitis B is 95- to 100-per-cent effective
in preventing infection caused by the virus before exposure and for
at least 30 years following immunization. Learn more at
immunizealberta.ca or call Health Link at 811 if you have questions.
Source: Alberta Health Services