Health authorities are warning that more than a quarter of a million people in England may be suffering from a serious liver infection.
Hepatitis B, also called the “silent disease” or hep B, was previously thought to affect only 206,000 adults in the US.
But officials from Britain’s Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found the figure is almost a third higher, at an estimated 268,767 – or one in every 200 people in England, most of whom remain undiagnosed.
However, the number of people in London who are infected with the virus, which is spread through contaminated blood, has more than doubled to more than one in every 100 people.
Experts said today that it is “vital” that health officials take swift action to tackle the condition, especially as many people are not even aware they are infected.
Hepatitis B has few visible symptoms in the early stages, but if left untreated it can lead to serious liver disease, including liver cancer. It can even be fatal, years after the initial infection.
Hepatitis B, also known as the ‘silent disease’ or hep B, was previously thought to affect just 206,000 adults across the country. But officials from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) found the figure is almost a third higher, estimated at 268,767 — or one in every 200 people in England, the majority of whom have not been diagnosed
However, rates of the virus, which is spread through infected blood, more than double to more than one in 100 people in London. Experts today argued it was “vital” that health leaders take urgent action to tackle the condition, especially as many people will not even realise they have been infected.
The latest data from UKHSA shows that the number of cases is highest among people aged 30 to 49, with an estimated 128,695.
People over 50 years of age were followed, with an estimated number of 85,292 cases.
Although the number of new cases of hepatitis B decreased between 2019 and 2021, diagnoses have now returned to pre-pandemic levels.
This comes after the government recently announced that a pilot program in emergency departments testing for blood-borne viruses led to 646 people being diagnosed with hepatitis B in its first year of operation.
“It has highlighted the scale of undiagnosed hepatitis B infections in the community and the need to expand access to testing,” UKHSA said.
There are now plans to expand this testing program from 33 locations across the country to 47 additional locations.
Pamela Healy, chief executive of the charity British Liver Trust, said: “Testing people in emergency departments has highlighted the scale of the problem that needs to be addressed.
‘Thousands of people are living with undiagnosed hepatitis B, without knowing they are infected.
‘Many people at risk and living with the condition do not seek help for fear of stigma and misunderstanding, especially because there are often no symptoms in the early stages.
“Raising awareness and providing accurate information is essential to encourage testing and treatment.”
A survey by the British Liver Trust this month also found that only 2 per cent of people could name hepatitis as a risk factor for liver disease.
Health officials have long agreed that most cases in England involve migrants who contracted the infection abroad before coming to the UK.
Communities at greater risk of infection in the UK include drug users, gay, bisexual and men who have sex with men, sex workers and people in prisons or immigration detention centres.
One of the most common routes of infection worldwide is through transmission of the virus to the child during birth.
Since the late 1990s, all pregnant women in England have been offered a prenatal blood test for hepatitis B.
In England, around 2,000 women test positive for hepatitis B each year. Their babies are offered the hepatitis B vaccine from birth.
Hepatitis, of which there are several forms, often produces no noticeable symptoms.
Signs of an infection include dark urine, light gray stools, itchy skin, and yellowing of the eyes and skin.
According to the NHS, infected people may also experience muscle and joint pain, high fever, nausea and feeling sick, and may feel unusually tired all the time.
However, experts warn that living with hepatitis B “often stigmatizes people, leading to fewer people coming forward for potentially life-saving treatments.”
Symptoms of liver cancer include jaundice, weight loss, and a swollen abdomen or lump
Dr Ahmed Elsharkawy, consultant hepatologist at University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust, said: ‘The lack of awareness and stigma surrounding hepatitis B and C pose significant barriers to treatment.
‘We need to create an environment where people feel safe to get tested and treated.
“Education is key to debunking myths and reducing the stigma associated with these infections.”
The NHS wants to eradicate another type of hepatitis, hepatitis C (hep C), by 2025, five years ahead of the World Health Organization’s target.
Deaths from hep C in England have fallen by 35 per cent in six years, well above the 10 per cent target. They are also at their lowest level for 20 years.