Roughly one in 10 adults in Hong Kong is a hepatitis B carrier, yet the majority of people here know little about the disease and ignore the need for prevention.

Hong Kong Hep B Free Foundation and AsiaHep Hong Kong each issued warnings on Wednesday, one day ahead of the World Hepatitis Day.

The foundation surveyed more than 1,900 Hong Kong citizens in June and July.

More than 70 percent underestimated the prevalence of hepatitis B virus carriers - most thought it was one in 50 or one in 100.

Forty-one percent were not vaccinated; 42 percent didn't know whether they carry hepatitis B virus or not. More than 40 percent thought hepatitis B carriers had obvious symptoms.

The foundation estimated that one in 10-12 adults in the city are carriers of the virus.

AsiaHep Hong Kong believes the number is higher among people aged 40-50.

The younger generation born after 1988 has received mandatory, free hepatitis B vacancies, while those aged above 23 didn't.

"The concern is, they may have been infected without knowing it," said Samuel So, chairman of the foundation.

Nancy Leung Wai-yee, chairwoman of the AsiaHep Hong Kong, called on the public to get hepatitis B tests voluntarily because carriers unusually have no symptoms.

She also indicated that hepatitis B carriers may have ignored the importance of periodic tests to monitor the condition.

Leung said the term "hepatitis B carrier" has misled people to underestimate the severity of the disease.

She described it as "a silent killer" or "a ticking time bomb".

"Chronic hepatitis B is a better term", she said.

But she said the virus had been controlled by medication in the last five years.

New drugs can greatly reduce the virus concentration, and show very limited resistance, she said.

Moreover, liver fibrosis that used to be a "death sentence", can also be improved through a five-year medication program, she said.

Two of the three new medicines have already been added to the Hospital Authority's drug list, Leung added.

Invited to speak at a media conference held by AsiaHep Hong Kong, Chung, a 32-year-old father, said he has had undetectable levels of hepatitis B virus for six months after using one of the new medicines for two years. He said he was diagnosed with liver fibrosis at 20, when he was advised to take tests after his grandmother died of liver cancer.

Leung said her NGO will provide free tests for 2,000 Hong Kong citizens.

guojiaxue@chinadailyhk.com

China Daily

(HK Edition 07/28/2011 page1)