Maori players in hepatitis test lineup

By STACEY BODGER

ROTORUA - New Zealand's top Maori rugby players are offering their blood for hepatitis B testing and encouraging the public to follow their example.

In a major screening campaign, the Health Funding Authority and the Hepatitis Foundation are trying to test for the virus among the 170,000 Maori, Pacific Island and Asian people living between the Bombay Hills and Wellington.

Hepatitis B, one of the world's oldest viruses, affects only certain ethnic groups.

It claims the lives of more than 150 New Zealanders a year by attacking the liver before the body realises it is infected. It can be transferred between people only by infected blood.

So far, only 30,000 Maori, Pacific Island and Asian people have had tests and yesterday New Zealand Maori rugby representatives urged those who had not been screened to follow their example.

Leading players including Bruce Reihana, Mark Cooksley, Paul Tito and Glen Marsh faced up to the needle and will receive the results in 10 days.

Foundation campaign manager Roger Mortlock said Pakeha were not tested because they were largely immune to the disease.

Studies on 25,000 of the tests done since last July showed 5.8 per cent of Maori tested were carriers of the virus, as were 6.3 per cent of Pacific Islanders and 4 per cent of Asians.

Cooksley said he decided to have the test once he learned of the high incidence of hepatitis B in Maori and other ethnic groups.

"The statistics say it all and it pays to be safe than sorry - I wanted to find out and encourage others to follow our example."