Daijiworld Media Network – Mangalore (SM/NR)

Mangalore, Jul 17: The center for digestive and liver disease at  the Kasturba Hospital in Manipal for creating awareness among the general public, is observing “Hepatitis B Eradication Day 2007 and Hepatitis B Screening Week” from Monday July16 to Saturday July 21 at its premises between 10 am and 4 pm.

This center is equipped with state-of-art facilities. A special screening package will be made available at a cost of Rs. 495. About 350 million people all over the world suffer from this disease and only few survive, informed the press release.

Further the press release states that regardless of the development of an effective vaccine against Hepatitis B virus, the infection remains a serious threat to public health in India.

Hepatitis is a general term which means swelling of the liver. Symptoms of hepatitis are generally queasiness and vomiting, loss of appetite, itching all over the body, pain over the liver (on the right side of the abdoen, under the lower rib cage, jaundice, dark urine, swelling of abdomen etc.)

Treatment usually begins when blood tests reveal that liver functions are worsening and the amount of replicating Hepatitis B virus is increasing, the release added.