Oxford health experts urge people to get tested for 'silent' hepatitis
Type B and C infections cause more than 1.3 million deaths worldwide each year
People across Oxfordshire are being encouraged to get tested for hepatitis B and hepatitis C today as health experts mark World Hepatitis Day.
Specialists at Oxford University Hospitals (OUH) say early testing is vital because both viruses can damage the liver for years before they are diagnosed.
Without treatment, hepatitis B and C can lead to serious liver disease, liver scarring and liver cancer.
The OUH Viral Hepatology team provides testing, treatment and support for patients across Oxfordshire and the wider Thames Valley.
Almost 400 people in Oxfordshire are currently receiving treatment for hepatitis B, while 187 patients were treated for hepatitis C across the Thames Valley during 2025/26.
Lizi Sims, Hepatology Community Nurse Manager at OUH, said: "Many people with hepatitis B or hepatitis C don't realise they have the infection because there are often no symptoms in the early stages – it can be silent, until they present with late disease.
"Testing is simple, and early diagnosis can make a huge difference. Effective treatments are available to control hepatitis B infection, and for hepatitis C, many patients can be cured.
"We're encouraging everyone to take a few minutes on World Hepatitis Day to learn more about hepatitis, consider whether testing may be right for them, and help reduce the stigma that can sometimes be associated with the condition."
Health experts say people may want to get tested if they were born in, or have lived in, parts of the world where hepatitis B and C are more common, like sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and the Pacific Islands, the Middle East, parts of South America, and central and eastern Europe.
Also if they have been exposed to risk factors including unprotected sex, injecting drugs, tattoos or piercings carried out with unsterilised equipment, certain blood transfusions, or being born to a mother with hepatitis B or C.
Testing for hepatitis B is available through GP surgeries, sexual health services and drug and alcohol services.
Adults aged 18 and over in England can also order a free, confidential home testing kit for hepatitis C through the NHS, which is a finger-prick blood test.
To mark World Hepatitis Day today, the Hepatology Community team is running an information stand at the John Radcliffe Hospital between 8.30am and 4.30pm.
Staff, patients and visitors can speak to specialists and find out more about hepatitis, testing and treatment.