What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B:

Hepatitis B is a liver disease that results from infection with a severe virus named hepatitis B virus (HBV). Individuals with hepatitis B develop either a severe or possibly a chronic infection that may last lifelong. The infection occurs worldwide with an extremely high burden among approximately 280 million carriers.

The symptoms may vary greatly and many of those infected with HBV never develop any symptoms at all. Those who do get symptoms usually suffer from tiredness, loss of appetite, abdominal discomfort, nausea, vomiting and fever. Almost all healthy adults who get acute hepatitis B will recover with no liver damage in 4-12 weeks, but the death rate can reach 2% in the elderly. Chronic infection is probably to develop in young babies.

Prevention & Transmission:

Hepatitis B is spread through contact with infected body fluids. Most infections occur by contacting with infected blood, but semen, saliva and cervical secretions can also be infectious. Sexual contact and injecting drug use are normal reasons for infection, just like tattooing and body piercing just in case contaminated equipment is used. For infants, the main source of infection is mother-to-child transmission and transmission from infected members around the household.

The virus can survive surfaces not less than seven days which suggests that it can be transmitted via objects which have been contaminated with infected body fluids. Transmission via blood transfusion or with the use of plasma-derived products has become rare in the European Union.

In recent times, increasing numbers of drugs have become available for the treatment of chronic infection but HBV vaccination is currently the most effective way to prevent HBV infection.