It was a lovely Wednesday morning as I get prepared for the day’s clinic. I wasn’t expecting much, today is going to be like every other day. It is almost always an infection, if not malaria it will be one of those bacteria infections with typhoid being the most common. But on few occasions, some patients present with chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus or hypertension.

The clinic was normal until a pregnant man came in. A pregnant man! Other patients in the waiting room wondered. A middle aged man with a huge abdominal distention was wheeled into the hospital. He was in an obvious distress, he looked as if he is seconds away from death. So jaundiced and pale that he could barely stand. I swung into action with the hope of helping him but my enthusiasm was soon shattered. There’s little I could do on knowing the diagnosis. He has liver cancer from chronic hepatitis B infection.

The most touching part of this tragic story was how he got the hepatitis B infection. Before going neck deep into his story let’s form a background by knowing some basic information about hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a viral infection just like HIV but 100 times more infectious. WHO 2014 facts sheets estimates that 2 billion people have been infected with hepatitis B virus worldwide. 90% of those with the infection don’t know they have it and only 1 in 100 gets treated. It is transmitted by sharing of sharps, unsafe sexual intercourse, exchange of body fluids, needle pricks and also from mother to child. Most people with this infection go unnoticed as the immune system have the ability to contain it but when this fail, an infected individual becomes a chronic carrier of the virus. And in the long run, the chronic carriers develop liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Chronic hepatitis infection is the commonest cause of liver cancer in sub Saharan Africa.

So how did my patient got his? Exactly 42 years ago, his family of 7 felt the need to empower themselves against metaphysical powers. His parent felt they needed to fortify the children and protect them from their numerous imaginary enemies. This made them visit an herbalist whose method of doing this was through incisions. He incised the five children twenty one different times, lacerating different parts of their body while he rubbed a black substance on each incision. He used the same blade for all the five children. He ended up infecting all the children with hepatitis B virus in the process. Three of the children later became a chronic carriers as evidenced by being positive to hepatitis B surface antigen. None of the children knew until one of them developed liver cancer. I referred him to a gastroenterologist but little could they do to help him. He died 2 months after.

Important lessons from this story are:
About 20 million Nigerians are chronic carriers with most being unaware.
Everyone should go for a screening test, it is not expensive.
One should avoid high risk behavior like sharing of sharps and having unprotected sexual intercourse.
Parent with the infection should take adequate measures to prevent its transmission to their unborn child.
All new babies must be vaccinated against the infections
If you have this infection it is not the end of the road, it can be cured.

Let me leave you with the recommendation of Prof. Olusegun Ojo, the former President, Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nigeria and the current President of Africa and Middle East Association of Gastroenterogy (AMAGE), “At the same time, Nigerians should take steps to determine their Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatatis C virus statuses by getting screened in hospitals and medical laboratories. If negative, they should seek to be vaccinated and, if positive they should ask to see hepatologists, specialist physicians who are knowledgeable and conversant with further testing and treatment.”

An important question I ask myself is, should one blame the parent or excuse them for the good intention that turned sour?

This article was written to commemorate the world hepatitis day, July 28 and in remembrance of a fellow nairalander, DJDOLA who died from chronic liver disease 2 years back. May your soul and that of my patient rest in peace.

O’Josh writes from Lagos for Kuducancer.com




http://kuducancer.com/2016/07/28/must-read-how-his-parent-caused-his-death-to-commemorate-the-world-hepatitis-day-july-28-and-in-honour-of-djdola/

Sissy 3, Dominique, Lalasticlala abeg help with front-page to create necessary awareness. Hope you all know your status

How sure are you that the hepatitis was gotten from a razor used 42 years earlier? Why and how did they all incubate this same hepatitis for decades, if at all that is true? Where is this special razor blade and the results from tests carried out on it?

The hepatitis could have been caught some time recently and perhaps bad drinking habits caused it to surface. Hepatitis is contagious and so people who share drinks and food can infect themselves with it. If it's more contagious than HIV then toilet use is a way in which it is spread(urine left on toilet seats, etc). Hepatitis can also be gotten from poorly washed fruits, too.

I believe more hepatitis awareness is needed. As a medical personnel, who says it's a cheap test, why doesn't the author encourage people to do it by actually stating the current price range?

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.

So, how can it be cured?

DonLo:
It was a lovely Wednesday morning as I get prepared for the day’s clinic. I wasn’t expecting much, today is going to be like every other day. It is almost always an infection, if not malaria it will be one of those bacteria infections with typhoid being the most common. But on few occasions, some patients present with chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus or hypertension.

The clinic was normal until a pregnant man came in. A pregnant man! Other patients in the waiting room wondered. A middle aged man with a huge abdominal distention was wheeled into the hospital. He was in an obvious distress, he looked as if he is seconds away from death. So jaundiced and pale that he could barely stand. I swung into action with the hope of helping him but my enthusiasm was soon shattered. There’s little I could do on knowing the diagnosis. He has liver cancer from chronic hepatitis B infection.

The most touching part of this tragic story was how he got the hepatitis B infection. Before going neck deep into his story let’s form a background by knowing some basic information about hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a viral infection just like HIV but 100 times more infectious. WHO 2014 facts sheets estimates that 2 billion people have been infected with hepatitis B virus worldwide. 90% of those with the infection don’t know they have it and only 1 in 100 gets treated. It is transmitted by sharing of sharps, unsafe sexual intercourse, exchange of body fluids, needle pricks and also from mother to child. Most people with this infection go unnoticed as the immune system have the ability to contain it but when this fail, an infected individual becomes a chronic carrier of the virus. And in the long run, the chronic carriers develop liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Chronic hepatitis infection is the commonest cause of liver cancer in sub Saharan Africa.

So how did my patient got his? Exactly 42 years ago, his family of 7 felt the need to empower themselves against metaphysical powers. His parent felt they needed to fortify the children and protect them from their numerous imaginary enemies. This made them visit an herbalist whose method of doing this was through incisions. He incised the five children twenty one different times, lacerating different parts of their body while he rubbed a black substance on each incision. He used the same blade for all the five children. He ended up infecting all the children with hepatitis B virus in the process. Three of the children later became a chronic carriers as evidenced by being positive to hepatitis B surface antigen. None of the children knew until one of them developed liver cancer. I referred him to a gastroenterologist but little could they do to help him. He died 2 months after.

Important lessons from this story are:
About 20 million Nigerians are chronic carriers with most being unaware.
Everyone should go for a screening test, it is not expensive.
One should avoid high risk behavior like sharing of sharps and having unprotected sexual intercourse.
Parent with the infection should take adequate measures to prevent its transmission to their unborn child.
All new babies must be vaccinated against the infections
If you have this infection it is not the end of the road, it can be cured.

Let me leave you with the recommendation of Prof. Olusegun Ojo, the former President, Society for Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Nigeria and the current President of Africa and Middle East Association of Gastroenterogy (AMAGE), “At the same time, Nigerians should take steps to determine their Hepatitis B Virus and Hepatatis C virus statuses by getting screened in hospitals and medical laboratories. If negative, they should seek to be vaccinated and, if positive they should ask to see hepatologists, specialist physicians who are knowledgeable and conversant with further testing and treatment.”

An important question I ask myself is, should one blame the parent or excuse them for the good intention that turned sour?

This article was written to commemorate the world hepatitis day, July 28 and in remembrance of a fellow nairalander, DJDOLA who died from chronic liver disease 2 years back. May your soul and that of my patient rest in peace.

O’Josh writes from Lagos for Kuducancer.com




http://kuducancer.com/2016/07/28/must-read-how-his-parent-caused-his-death-to-commemorate-the-world-hepatitis-day-july-28-and-in-honour-of-djdola/

Deadly disease, Only few knows about it existence, only few have tested for it Do an Hepatitis test today and encourage others to do same, that constant headache, fever, stomach ache Could be as a result of Hepatitis B, go for testing, it is not m than 4000 naira. The earlier treatment is started, th better.... so I heard.

It is well with our souls.

ok

Tellemall:
How sure are you that the hepatitis was gotten from a razor used 42 years earlier? Why and how did they all incubate this same hepatitis for decades, if at all that is true? Where is this special razor blade and the results from tests carried out on it?

The hepatitis could have been caught some time recently and perhaps bad drinking habits caused it to surface. Hepatitis is contagious and so people who share drinks and food can infect themselves with it. If it's more contagious than HIV then toilet use is a way in which it is spread(urine left on toilet seats, etc). Hepatitis can also be gotten from poorly washed fruits, too.

I believe more hepatitis awareness is needed. As a medical personnel, who says it's a cheap test, why doesn't the author encourage people to do it by actually stating the current price range?

It's okay to just POLITELY add your two cents.

.

It's nice to post this topic to make us aware of Hepatitis B.... and how it can spread. But all the "fillings".... lovely sunny morning .... and the unproven story about the family and the herbalist take away from the main point.

Originalsly:
It's nice to post this topic to make us aware of Hepatitis B.... and how it can spread. But all the "fillings".... lovely sunny morning .... and the unproven story about the family and the herbalist take away from the main point.

Repeating the irrelevant part of the article in your comment and making a huge deal out of it, is what takes away from the main point.

J

20 million Nigerians are infected with hepatitis B — Experts

http://punchng.com/20-million-nigerians-infected-hepatitis-b-experts/


Hope the clueless apc government would do something about it.

Dis is one disease dat requires MORE sensitization like HIV and other STDs, our government need to do more in educating ppl who dnt kn abt dis disease

this is a good write up...was in a private clinic to do a comprehensive test which includes...malaria,typhoid,HIV and hepatitis.. was told the bill was 64k.....that amount alone is enough to buy a new body

We are sure intend time, perilous time indeed, war, famine, diseases, Lord have mercy.

The test is very cheap depending on the lab or hospital. about 500 naira and above.

Every one should ensure they are tested against these deadly infection. Op ensure you are also tested against an infection called LIE INFECTION. These is the same disease that as being disturbing lai muhammed from birth.

Hmm

aljpimp:
this is a good write up...was in a private clinic to do a comprehensive test which includes...malaria,typhoid,HIV and hepatitis.. was told the bill was 64k.....that amount alone is enough to buy a new body

64k na buhari clinic u go

@DonLo, yeah, what's the cure? Someone's asked already . You said it's curable...

I did hiv,hepatitis test,blood group and genotype for 5500 naira...its not expensive,get tested today.

Tellemall:
How sure are you that the hepatitis was gotten from a razor used 42 years earlier? Why and how did they all incubate this same hepatitis for decades, if at all that is true? Where is this special razor blade and the results from tests carried out on it?

The hepatitis could have been caught some time recently and perhaps bad drinking habits caused it to surface. Hepatitis is contagious and so people who share drinks and food can infect themselves with it. If it's more contagious than HIV then toilet use is a way in which it is spread(urine left on toilet seats, etc). Hepatitis can also be gotten from poorly washed fruits, too.

I believe more hepatitis awareness is needed. As a medical personnel, who says it's a cheap test, why doesn't the author encourage people to do it by actually stating the current price range?

Well I think that was the only risk factor the OP was able to bring out from the history. Then Hepatitis A and E are contracted by faeco-oral route, B,C,D by sexual contact and contact with infected blood via ways like transfusion, needle prick, sharing sharps etc. Sharing food isn't a risk factor except contaminated food, and that can only transmit Hepatitis A and E which hardly ever cause chronic hepatitis. Sharing toilet doesn't transmit hepatitis at all.

des4ella:
64k na buhari clinic u go

hahaha na one clinic for onitsha

Transmission of hepatitis B through sex is very minimal. But be careful

A very very silent killer, God deliver us from all this ill health

Vaccination should be made for infants and it must be compulsory, adults should get tested and if the result is negative, they should go for vaccination, if positive, treatments should start immediately.

More awareness is needed for Hepatitis.

aljpimp:

hahaha na one clinic for onitsha

Which clinic is that?

knifer:
Well I think that was the only risk factor the OP was able to bring out from the history. Then Hepatitis A and E are contracted by faeco-oral route, B,C,D by sexual contact and contact with infected blood via ways like transfusion, needle prick, sharing sharps etc. Sharing food isn't a risk factor except contaminated food, and that can only transmit Hepatitis A and E which hardly ever cause chronic hepatitis. Sharing toilet doesn't transmit hepatitis at all.

Well, that last bit comes as a surprise, if it's true.

One would expect the urine of an infected person in a toilet to infect another.