BUJUMBURA July 30th (ABP) – Hepatitis B must be tested and treated to prevent transmission to others.
These are the words of Hepatogastroenterologist Rénovat Ntagirabiri in an interview he gave to a check by ABP on the occasion of the World Day against viral hepatitis. According to Mr. Ntagirabiri, hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver due to several causes including the viral causes of viruses A, B, C, D and E and others that have been discovered such as toxic devices, alcohol and drugs. He also cited the metabolic causes, that is to say, overload of iron, copper, so there is a multitude of causes of hepatitis but the WHO and the Ministry in charge of Health focus on hepatitis B and C that can become chronic and have medication. Mr. Ntagirabiri claims that the virus C has a treatment of three months maximum and in six months virus is over. In the case of hepatitis B, this one has a treatment that can last for several years. He added that the advantage for Case B is that there is a vaccine. When you get vaccinated, you can no longer catch the hepatitis B virus, and that is the only way to beat hepatitis. Regarding the means of transmission, he reported the hepatitis virus can be transmitted by sharing contaminated objects that pass through the body such as razor oars, needles, syringe as well as the sexual route, mother-to-child transmission as well as blood transfusion. Regarding the signs of hepatitis, he clarified that the signs of hepatitis resemble those of the flu namely muscle pain, joints, eyes that change color, fever and all these signs appear at the onset of the disease; and after, these signs go away while the disease is there. Most people find the disease in the cirrhosis stage when the feet swell and liquid in the stomach. The best way for prevention is to test and then vaccinate pregnant women and if the woman tests positive, the child should be vaccinated at birth, the spouse and siblings should be tested. Those who are positive treat them, and those who are negative, vaccinate them. In the case of hepatitis C, Mr. Ntagirabiri said that there are drugs and these are those that the public service mutual covers at 80%. He asks all Burundians to contribute in the prevention of these hepatitis diseases.