Casual sex, shared toothbrush can give you hepatitis B

Symtoms of hepatitis B.
| credits: addictioncam.com

Among infectious diseases globally, hepatitis B is reputed as the 10th leading cause of death. In Nigeria, experts say, nearly two-thirds of the population have contact with the virus, while about 20 per cent of the population is infected, with a good number unaware of it. Bad as it is, children are less likely to have symptoms than adults, even when infected.

Worse still, people with hepatitis B don’t feel the symptoms until a larger part of the liver has been damaged. In fact, gastroenterologists say by the time the symptoms of hepatitis B infection begin to manifest in an individual, it is almost always too late for doctors to help.

Physicians say there is no medication available to treat acute hepatitis B, though they may recommend rest, adequate nutrition, and regular intake of fluids, while some patients may need to be hospitalised.

And although not everyone infected with the hepatitis B virus will develop symptoms, persons infected may develop a sudden onset of fever, extreme tiredness, nausea, lack of appetite, abdominal pain (stomach pain), dark urine, clay-coloured bowel movements, joint pain and yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes (jaundice).

According to consultant physician, Dr. Aderemi Oluyemi, a specialist in hepatology, gastroenterology and endoscopy, the hepatitis B virus is spread through infected bodily fluids.

INEC commissioner, Salau, dies

 

Prof. Muritala Salau

A National Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Muritala Salau, is dead.

Salau, a Professor of Physics, was a former Vice-Chancellor of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso.

The 67-year-old passed on at the Turkish Hospital, Abuja, where he went to treat a sickness.

Salau, who died on Saturday, has been buried at the Muslim cemetery, Moniya, Ibadan in line with Muslim rites.

A fellow National Commissioner of INEC, Prof. Lai Olurode, described Salau as an enigma, who touched the lives of several people that he came across.

Olurode said, “I recall the last night I shared with him in Uyo during one of our workshops at INEC. He spoke glowingly. Professor Attahiru Jega had him flown from Uyo to Abuja when he took ill. It is very painful to lose such a nice man.