Hepatitis B outbreak in Moncton leads to free vaccine offer

Moncton is seeing an outbreak in cases of acute hepatitis B, a virus that can be transmitted sexually and primarily affects the liver.

The province is now offering free hepatitis B vaccines to men who have sex with menbecause they are primarily affected by the outbreak.

There was only one case a year of hepatitis B documented from 2003-13, said regional medical officer of health Dr. YvesLger.

12 cases since 2014

In 2014, there were seven cases, with five of them occurring in men who have sex with men. There was only once case in 2015, but so far this year there have been four cases identified in men who have sex with men.

"We've seen a drastic increase in the number of cases, much more beyond what we would expect to see," said Lger. "And also because of the fact that it is occurring within a specific group, in which case it leads us to believe that ongoing transmission is occurring."

Lgersaid men who have sex with men areparticularly at risk of contracting hepatitis B.

"That specific group is known as a group that has a higher risk of getting that infection, which often times can be related to a number of different lifestyle factors," he said.

"One of them can be having sexual practices that increase their risk of getting infected."

Liver affected

Gabriel Girouard, a medicalmicrobiologist and infectious disease specialist at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont hospital, explained that the virus "causes an infection and inflammation of the liver."

Microbiologist says hepatitis B vaccine is safe and can help stop its spreading

8 years ago

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Microbiologist Gabriel Girouard said liver damage from hepatitis B can be suppressed through medication.Girouardsaid that while there was no cure for the disease, patients could take medication to suppress liver damage and prevent future liver cancer.

The public health department launched an awareness campaignWednesdaythat encouragesmen who have sex with men to get the vaccine.

Mariette Leblanc, communicable disease co-ordinator for the department, saidthe campaign consistsof putting posters in public places as well as places where many men areemployed, and putting ads on websites where people find sexual partners.

She said the vaccines will be offered anonymously at the suggestion of a focus group put together for the creation of the campaign.