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| Electron Microscope Picture of Hepatitis B Virus |
HEPATITIS B has become very popular nowadays. Popular in a sense that people are mostly aware of its employment dilemma. It is a common practice for employers to screen applicants for the virus, but the practice has caused inappropriate actions leading to biased uncalled for revocation of employment.
Hepatitis B virus is one of several viruses with special trophism to the liver, that is, it only seeks the liver for its replication and survival. It is mostly transmitted via transfer of bodily fluids mostly by improperly screened blood for transfusions, entry of infected bodily fluids thru cuts or breaks in the skin like contaminated needle puncture and via sexual contact.
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| Liver Damaged by Hepatitis B Virus |
The virus once it gains entry to body tends to have a chronic insidious course and may not manifest clinically with overt disease. Most infected patients are unaware of its presence until a screening test is done and later confirmed.
Infected patients have an increased risk of developing the classical disease of HEPATITIS during their lifetime but not necessarily absolute, since infected patients may become carriers for life without developing the disease.
Hepatitis B virus is also linked with the development of cirrhosis and liver cancer.
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| A patient with cirrhosis from Hepatitis B |
Since it is also a sexually transmitted infection, condom is the only proven contraceptive to prevent its spread aside from sexual abstinence.
With regards to the employment dilemma, having the virus is not an absolute or even a relative indication to decline employment simply due to its specific mode of transmission..... HOW CAN AN ENGINEER TRANSMIT THE VIRUS IN THE WORKPLACE WHEN HIS/HER PROFESSION INVOLVES COMPUTERS AND PAPER WORKS????
Certain professions maybe delineated or further evaluated if it involves exposure prone procedures, like blood handling etc.... and again should be reviewed and validated to avoid bias on the applicants part.
TIPS TO AVOID HEPATITIS B:
1) PRACTICE SAFE SEX, USE A CONDOM, BETTER YET AVOID RISKY SEX
2) OBSERVE APPROPRIATE SCREENING FOR BLOOD TRANSFUSION
3) WHEN AT RISK, HAVE A COMPLETE VACCINATION
4) CONSULT YOUR INTERNIST FOR MORE INFO....
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