Mandatory hep B testing for those over 25 could become a reality, for this scary reason

Related deaths are largely preventable

More Australians die from hepatitis B-related illness each year. Now experts are pushing for universal screening for all adults.

More than 200,000 Australians are living with chronic hepatitis B, according to Hepatitis Australia, and many don’t even know they’ve been infected.

Symptoms typically show up one to four months after infection, though many people are asymptomatic. 

People with an acute infection can often ‘clear’ the virus without treatment, but if the immune system isn’t able to fight it off after six months, it is considered chronic.

The virus can cause fevers, loss of appetite, nausea, stomach pain, fatigue and jaundice in acute cases, in addition to potential damage, failure or cancer of the liver in chronic cases.

New data from the Doherty Institute’s World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Viral Hepatitis has revealed that an estimated 460 Australians died from chronic hepatitis B-related complications in 2023 alone, and 82 per cent of these were a result of liver cancer. Liver damage was to blame for the additional 18 per cent.

What’s behind the rising rates of hepatitis B-related deaths?

The virus is blood-borne and sexually transmitted, so it can be spread through exposure to infected blood, saliva, vaginal fluids and semen, as well as passed from a mother to her child. 

The virus is blood-borne and sexually transmitted. Image: iStock

Director of the Doherty Institute’s WHO Collaborating Centre, Professor Benjamin Cowie, said the increase in hepatitis B-related deaths can be attributed to:

• Australia’s aging population
• Migration
• People with the virus not accessing regular screening and treatment

“It’s called the silent killer,” he explained. “Most people have no symptoms at all. We estimate that one-third of people living with hepatitis B in Australia, some 75,000 people, have never been diagnosed despite a simple blood test having been available for over 50 years.”

We estimate that one-third of people living with hepatitis B in Australia, some 75,000 people, have never been diagnosed despite a simple blood test having been available for over 50 years. Image: iStock

Push to increase hepatitis B screening

Alongside these findings, the Department of Health and Aged Care is considering offering universal ‘hepatitis B testing with informed consent for adults’, according to a draft online.

The move would help to ensure those who are affected are able to access support, education, testing and treatment.

The WHO says vaccines against hepatitis B offer ‘nearly 100% protection against the virus’, and many of us received them when we were babies and again when we were teenagers. 

The move would help to ensure those who are affected are able to access support, education, testing and treatment. Image: iStock

Hepatitis Australia’s chief executive Lucy Clynes said, “testing and linking individuals to treatment ... can significantly reduce the risk of liver cancer and other serious complications”.

While hepatitis B is incurable, regular liver function testing and imaging, as well as antiviral medications can help to prevent liver damage and decrease the risk of liver disease or cancer.

But people are often only screened for the virus when donating blood or organs, or when pregnant. 

The federal government is set to release its national hepatitis B strategy later this year.

While hepatitis B is incurable, regular liver function testing and imagery, as well as antiviral medications can help to prevent liver damage and decrease the risk of liver disease or cancer. Image: Getty

Need a refresher on hepatitis A through E and their prevalence in Australia? 

Types of hepatitis

Hepatitis A

According to NSW Health, symptoms of hepatitis A are usually mild and most people completely recover within a few weeks, so related deaths are rare.

This variant isn’t considered an STI, and is usually transmitted through consuming contaminated food, water or fecal matter.

There is a vaccine against hepatitis A.

There is a vaccination against hepatitis A. Image: iStock

Hepatitis C

Also not considered an STI, hepatitis C is a blood-borne virus.

According to Victoria Health, over 90 per cent of people infected with this variant are asymptomatic.

There isn’t a vaccine for hepatitis C, but it is curable and can be treated with antiviral medications. 

According to the Department of Health and Aged Care, only people infected with hepatitis B can get hepatitis D, while hepatitis E can be spread through eating undercooked pork products or drinking contaminated water. 

Both are rare in Australia.

Originally published as Mandatory hep B testing for those over 25 could become a reality, for this scary reason