Often geographically isolated and without access to good health care, Indigenous people have a higher chance of contracting the disease than do other populations. They’re also prone to a viral variant that has proved difficult to treat.
Credit: John Warburton-Lee Photography/Alamy Stock Photo
Cracking the problem is a complex endeavour, but the more researchers focus on how and why this disease behaves differently in Indigenous populations, the more likely it is that treatment and control can be improved.The inaccessibility of the Australian bush could be part of the reason for the higher incidence of hepatitis B in Aboriginal individuals. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 14% of Indigenous people live in areas classified as ‘very remote’, compared with only 0.
Testing isn’t the only way in which remote locations play a part. Nicholas Biddle, an economist at the Australian National University in Canberra, and his colleague Francis Markham looked at data from the previous three censuses to assess geographical variations in income, poverty and inequality. Their results, published in 2018, paint a picture of two halves: prosperity in the cities and their surrounds, contrasted by stagnation and decline in remote areas.
The HBV-C4 variant has only ever been detected in Aboriginal people. And although it is theoretically possible that other strains are also present in Indigenous communities, researchers haven’t yet detected any. Margaret Littlejohn, a medical researcher at the Doherty Institute, has genotyped hundreds of hepatitis B samples from Aboriginal people over the past decade or so — and every one of them has been HBV-C4. “Why are hepatitis rates high in Indigenous people?” she asks.
. Hepatitis B core antibodies, which develop with the onset of symptoms, were found in only 3.1% of study participants who had been vaccinated. But an overwhelming 86.4% of that group were Indigenous people.The vaccination rates in Indigenous people might also be overestimates, warns Biddle. “When people are vaccinated, it’s an opportunity for them to officially identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islanders,” he says.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Austin Man’s Suicide in Jail After Seeking Medical Care Raises Question: Why Was He There?Austin man’s suicide in jail after seeking medical care raises a question: Why was he there?
Leer más »
Here's Why Halsey Left the 2022 Grammys EarlyShortly after walking the red carpet at the 2022 Grammys, Halsey made a quick exit from the award show. Read the singer's message to fans for more details
Leer más »
Why SZA Was on Crutches at the 2022 GrammysThe singer had the crutches with her on stage as she accepted the award for best pop duo or group performance — and later explained why.
Leer más »
Here’s Why SZA Was on Crutches at the GrammysAn untimely leg injury wasn’t enough to keep SZA from attending the 2022 Grammy Awards on Sunday night (April 3), and lifting some hardware.The U.S. singer and songwriter cut a hobbled figure at th…
Leer más »