WHEN travelling abroad, holiday makers must always be prepared, but a local doctor is adding one extra item to the luggage - a needle!

As unusual as the addition may sound, the needle could help save travellers from a very nasty infection.

Dr Abdul Hafeez is making it his mission to help people avoid contracting hepatitis.

While many may believe they would never be in with a chance of catching the viral infection, the risks are closer to home than you might think.

Based at the Bolton Medical Centre for six years, Dr Hafeez says he has treated cases of infection after his patients have returned from abroad – many travelling back from countries like Pakistan and Egypt.

He said: “I have seen a few cases where the patient has gone abroad and put themselves at risk of getting hepatitis.

“In one case, a patient on dialysis went to India, went on a machine there and got the infection.

“This is not just something that happens with patients in Bolton, but all over the UK. People go abroad and don’t know the risks.”

At the practice in Great Lever, the doctor reports that around 30 per cent of his patients are from Asia, and another 20 per cent from Eastern Europe.

Because many do travel abroad at summer they put themselves at risk, particularly in countries like Pakistan where around one in 10 people have hepatitis.

However, the advice applies to anyone who travels out of the country – even into Europe.

He explains: “It does not spread from dirty water or shaking hands or sharing a towel - these are common misconceptions. “How it spreads is actually through bodily secretions and blood through things like dirty needles.

“You may catch a simple infection and end up needing an injection and catch it through the needle being used.

“You can go for a shave and they are not using a disposable blade, a little nick and you risk an infection through the blood.

“Other cases can be getting your ears pierced or accidentally getting cut by a needle or blade which has not been disposed of properly.

“Standards are not as good as in our country, we get used to the NHS here.”

The main viruses people are at risk of catching are hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

According to the NHS, hepatitis B is uncommon in the UK and most cases affect people who became infected while growing up in part of the world where the infection is more common, such as South-east Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Most adults infected with it are able to fight off the virus and fully recover within a couple of months.

In the UK, vaccination is recommended for people in high-risk groups, such as healthcare workers, people who inject drugs, homosexual men, children born to mothers with hepatitis B, and people travelling to parts of the world where the infection is more common.

In 2017, the vaccine was added to the routine immunisation programme so that all children can benefit from protection from this virus.

Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus and is the most common type of viral hepatitis in the UK, usually spread through blood-to-blood contact with an infected person.

In the UK, it is most commonly spread through sharing needles used to inject drugs.

Chronic hepatitis C can be treated with very effective antiviral medications, but there is currently no vaccine available.

Dr Hafeez said another major problem was people not seeking treatment as soon as possible because of lack of symptoms.

He also added that there are risks in the UK from places like barbers where regulations may not include correct medical disposal of shaving blades – leaving them to be a risk in an ordinary bin.

He adds: “Any sign of infection you should seek the advice of your doctor and make sure you catch it early.

“The main thing is to protect yourself from these situations. If you are going away I advise taking a clean needle with you just in case you need an injection and then you can give it to the doctor to use.”

Anyone wishing to do this should seek advice from their GP, NHS or through the GOV.UK website.

On World Hepatitis Day, Bolton Medical Centre held a special event where patients and non-patients alike were invited to visit and speak to medical professionals to see how they can protect themselves from the disease.