THOUSANDS of Brits may have unknowingly acquired hepatitis C while on holiday, experts have warned.
Getting an impromptu tattoo or piercing while abroad could have exposed Brits to the deadly virus, which can cause life-threatening damage if left untreated.
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Those who have had dental procedures and cosmetic ops at clinics abroad are also at risk, as are those forced to make unplanned visits to the hospital due to accidents and injuries, health experts warn.
Health experts describe hepatitis C as a 'ticking time bomb in the body', as it infects the liver and can result in liver failure or liver cancer down the line.
Figures from healthcare company Preventx now suggest that some 70,000 Brits over the age of 18 could be living with undiagnosed hepatitis C, due to non-sterilised equipment and a lack of hygiene measures at clinics abroad.
The nasty virus is blood borne, meaning it can be passed on through traces of blood in contaminated hospital settings or tattoo parlours.
It's possible to live with it without knowing for years or decades, as it won't cause noticeable symptoms until the liver has been 'significantly damaged', NHS guidance states.
Health experts are now calling for people concerned they might have hepatitis C to get checked - adding that infection could have happened years ago.
A blood test can confirm if you have the infection, or you can now do a free finger prick test at home as long as you're over 18 and live in England.
You can also get tested through your GP or sexual health clinic.
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According to Rachel Halford, CEO of The Hepatitis C Trust:“The test is free, confidential and you will have your results back within a few days.
"If the result is negative, it will give you peace of mind. If the result is positive, hepatitis C can be easily treated and cured.”
Diagnosing and treating hepatitis C early can help prevent or limit damage to your liver, while also ensuring you're not passing the infection on to other people.
Dr Vanessa Apea, medical director at Preventx and NHS consultant said: "If you do test positive, treatment is extremely safe and effective, and you can be cured with a simple course of tablets.
"Improving uptake is vital to eliminating hepatitis C as a major public health issue.”
Preventx warned that lack of knowledge on the virus could leave people vulnerable to infection, with recent polls showing that over two-thirds of people (67 per cent) in England admitted to not knowing much about the condition.
The survey of 2,004 adults also showed that 70 per cent did not realise the virus is spread via blood-to-blood contact and 76 per cent had no idea it could be contracted from having a tattoo or piercing, when equipment isn't properly cleaned between clients.
With 74 per cent of English adults unaware that you can live with hepatitis C for years without showing any symptoms, the need for increased testing is high, Preventx stated.
'I was on holiday... I never expected to come back with hep C'
Mo Goolamallee, a 55-year-old dad of one from London was diagnosed with hepatitis C this year, but contracted when he was just 20 after needing emergency medical treatment while on holiday in Sri Lanka after a motorbike accident.
“When you go on holiday you want to have fun. It never occurred to me that I might come back with hep C. My accident was just one of those things," Mo recalled.
"I hadn’t thought about it for years and never had any symptoms."
Mo was 'shocked' after a hospital visit in January following a gym accident revealed he had hepatitis C.
“I wish I’d known back then about the risk of hepatitis C from medical treatment overseas," he said.
"People just don’t know what the virus is and all of the ways you can catch it. We need to make more people aware of the virus and get more people to test.”
