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Questions & Answers
What causes hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
How does HBV spread?
| HBV is found in the blood or certain body fluids. The virus is spread when blood
or body fluid from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not
infected. This can occur in a variety of ways including: |
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- Unprotected sexual contact
- Sharing drugs, needles, or "works" when
using drugs
- Tattooing and body piercing
- Poor infection control practices in
medical settings
- Needle sticks or sharps exposures on
the job
- From mother to baby during birth
- Contact with wounds or skin sores
- When an infected person bites another
person
- Pre-chewing food for babies
- Sharing personal-care items, such as
razors or toothbrushes
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HBV particles can be found on objects,
even in the absence of visible blood. The virus can remain infectious and
capable of spreading infection for at least seven days outside the human body.
HBV is not spread through food or
water, sharing eating utensils, hugging, kissing, coughing, and sneezing or by
casual contact, such as in an office or factory setting.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis
B?
About 7 out of 10 adults who become infected with HBV develop symptoms. Children
under age 5 years rarely have symptoms. When people have symptoms, they usually
appear between 45 and 160 days after onset of infection. People who have
symptoms generally feel quite ill and might need to be hospitalized.
| Symptoms of hepatitis B might include
the following: |
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- Yellowing of skin and whites of eyes
- Dark-colored urine
- Loss of appetite or nausea
- Bloated and tender belly
- Extreme tiredness
- Fever
- Pain in joints
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Do people fully recover?
Most people who get infected as adults will fully recover. However, about 4 of
100 people will remain infectious and carry HBV in their bodies for life. This
is called chronic infection. People with chronic HBV infection should not be
excluded from work, school, play, childcare, or other settings.
The majority of people with chronic HBV
infection feel healthy and do not develop serious problems related to the
infection; however, about 25% will develop cirrhosis (scarring of the liver),
liver failure, and liver cancer later in life.
How serious is infection with HBV?
Hepatitis B can be very serious. Infection with HBV can cause life-long
(chronic) infection that can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Many people in
the United States die every year from hepatitis B-related liver disease.
Fortunately, there is a vaccine to prevent this disease.
How common is hepatitis B in the
United States?
In 2007, 4,519 cases of acute hepatitis B were reported to the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); however, the actual number of new
infections is estimated by the agency to be about tenfold higher. According to
CDC, an estimated 0.8 to 1.4 million people have chronic HBV infection in the
United States.
Since the introduction of routine
vaccination against HBV, there has been a significant decline in U.S. cases
among children and adolescents, the group with the largest increase in hepatitis
B vaccination coverage. However, chronic HBV infection remains a major problem.
Many of the 1 million people chronically infected with HBV do not know they are
infected. Most cases of chronic HBV infection in the United States are found in
immigrants or refugees from Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands, and Eastern
Europe. People from these areas of the world should be tested to find out if
they are chronically infected. Worldwide, approximately 350 million people are
chronically infected with HBV and approximately 1 million of these people die
each year from cirrhosis leading to liver failure or liver cancer.
How does a person know if s/he has
HBV infection?
Only blood tests can tell whether or not a person is currently infected and
whether or not a person has been infected in the past. If the tests indicate a
person has been infected in the past, testing will also determine whether the
person has developed protective antibodies to the virus or whether they still
have virus in their blood.
Is there a medication to treat
hepatitis B?
There are several FDA-approved medications that might help a person who has
chronic HBV infection. These medications don't usually get rid of the virus, but
they might decrease the chance of the infected person developing severe liver
disease. Not every infected person is a candidate for these medications.
Researchers continue to seek additional treatments for hepatitis B. There is no
treatment (other than supportive care) for people with acute hepatitis B.
What should you do if you have been
exposed to HBV?
If you think you've been exposed to HBV, contact your doctor or clinic without
delay. If you have not been vaccinated, it is recommended that you receive
treatment with hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIG), a blood product containing
protective HBV antibodies. You should also get the first dose of hepatitis B
vaccine as soon as possible, preferably at the same time as the HBIG is given.
Following this, you will need to complete the full hepatitis B vaccine series.
Can you get hepatitis B more than
once?
No.
Questions and answers
about hepatitis B vaccine
Technically reviewed by the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, October 2010
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