There is concern in government quarters in Ondo State following the discovery of a peculiar strain of hepatitis infection among patients.
The Special Adviser to the Governor on Health, Simidele Odimayo, made the indication in Akure on Saturday on the sidelines of an awareness walk to mark World Hepatitis Day.
Mr Odimayo said, however, that the state government was trying to find out more about this peculiarity in order to address it accordingly.
“The state government has observed that there is a particularity in the viral hepatitis that we have in the state. We have seen that people with a low viral load in hepatitis present complications,” he said.
The special adviser explained that the low viral load detected by the European Community for Hepatitis does not normally require treatment.
“But in our case, these patients with low viral loads come with complications of hepatitis such as liver cancer,” he added.
According to him, patients will undergo viral load and genotyping, while samples will be sent for sequencing.
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“This will allow us to understand the specifics of the hepatitis we have here,” he said.
Mr Odimayo said those who tested positive for hepatitis would be structured for further testing and possibly begin treatment.
He said the state governor was passionate and concerned about the welfare of the people, adding that the population needed to enjoy free hepatitis testing and education on its prevention.
He said the governor had given the mandate to tackle the infection and the exercise would capture at least 3,000 people for free screening across the state.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner for Health, Banji Ajaka, has said the state government is in the process of securing additional funding worth several billion naira from development partners to be used to improve health services.
Mr Ajaka also spoke on World Hepatitis Day under the theme “Time to Act”, focusing on improving people’s access to diagnosis and treatment.
He described hepatitis as a viral infection that attacks the liver, causing inflammation and affecting its ability to function properly.
He said the liver is a very important organ in the body that is responsible for several functions including breaking down food and medicines and producing blood, among others.
He pointed out that any liver disease has dire consequences.
“There are several types of hepatitis, but the most common and those that represent a public health problem are hepatitis A, B, C and E. Hepatitis A and E are transmitted through the ingestion of contaminated food or water and are usually associated with poor sanitary conditions.
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“Hepatitis B and C are usually transmitted through contact with infectious bodily fluids, such as blood and sexual fluids, through practices (similar to HIV transmission) such as sexual acts, blood transfusions, sharing of contaminated needles and mother-to-child transmission, among others,” Ajaka said.
He stressed the need for prevention, which is based on well-established strategies such as immunization, mandatory screening of blood and blood products, strict guidelines on sterilization of medical instruments and a ban on reuse of needles.
“The clinical features of hepatitis can vary widely. Some people may not have any clinical features, while others may experience mild or severe symptoms. It can also present as an acute illness, which may resolve within days or weeks, or progress to a chronic disease.
“Common features include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine and jaundice,” he said.
The health commissioner advised pregnant women to always insist on getting tested for hepatitis B and encouraged them to give birth in hospitals where they can have access to skilled birth attendants and sterilized instruments.
She noted that this would prevent mother-to-child transmission, and if a mother is already infected with hepatitis B, the baby will be given medication immediately after birth.
Mr Ajaka reiterated that the government will continue to create awareness among the public to accept immunization, hospital deliveries and avoid patronizing quacks.
He also said the government was set to begin screening and regulating food vendors in the state, which he said was the first step towards ridding the state of hepatitis A and E, which are contracted through food consumption.