CityNews Article Archive:
University Urges Residents to Get Hepatitis B Test

CityNews – The Faculty of Medicine of Chiang Mai University recommends residents of the north of Thailand to do a health check for Hepatitis B virus, so that immediate treatment can be given to those found with the virus before it develops into liver cancer.

Vaccination for the Hepatitis B virus was not developed until 1992, therefore anyone born before 1992 is at risk of contracting the virus. Doctors also say that the Hepatitis B virus was found in Burmese workers, though no project is thus far in place to vaccinate workers coming in to Chiang Mai from Burma.

On the 27^th of April, 2012, at Pang Suang Kaew Hotel, The Royal Thai Army Nursing College cooperated with the Liver Foundation & Liver Society of Thailand to set up a campaign ‘Stop Hepatitis B, Fight Liver Cancer’ to raise awareness of the dangers of Hepatitis B, and to provide residents with knowledge on how to prevent and treat Hepatitis B properly. Physicians reveal that it is estimated that chronic Hepatitis B is now threatening more than 3.5 million Thais, but most of the time the virus is not detected, as many people infected with the virus show no symptoms.  If left untreated Hepatitis B can lead to many other deadly diseases, such as liver cancer, liver cirrhosis, and liver failure.

Nurses at Pang Suang Kaew Hotel

Dr. Satawat Thongsawat, head of Department of Internal Medicine, gastrointestinal tract division of Chiang Mai University, revealed that the percentage of Thais with Hepatitis B is as high as 10 to 30% of the population. Although infants now receive vaccinations at birth, the percentage is still high, especially in the north of Thailand, where the virus was partly spread from workers which had migrated from Myanmar, including refugees. The government has not been able to all areas in the north with a 100% effective vaccine, due to the hot weather, causing the vaccines to degrade in quality.

“The issue is a very serious one, as most residents of the north of Thailand are still not very aware of Hepatitis B. Most people affected with Hepatitis B are working adults, aged 30 to 40, male. Recently the Hepatitis B virus has been found in the blood of 3.5% of donors.

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                ?.?.? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 3-10 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 100% ?

                “? ? ? ? 30-40 ?  ? ? ? 3.5 %  ? ? ?” ?.?.? ?.