| What
is hepatitis B?
 Hepatitis
B is caused by a virus that attacks the liver. The virus, which is called hepatitis
B virus (HBV), can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver,
liver cancer, liver failure, and death. What
are the symptoms of viral hepatitis?
The
symptoms of acute (newly acquired) hepatitis A, B and C are the same. Symptoms
occur more often in adults than in children. If symptoms occur, they might include:
- tiredness
-
loss of appetite
-
nausea
- abdominal
discomfort
-
dark urine
-
clay-colored bowel movements
-
yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
How
is hepatitis B virus spread? HBV
is spread when blood or body fluids from an infected person enters the body of
a person who is not infected. For example, HBV is spread through having sex with
an infected person without using a condom (the efficacy of latex condoms in preventing
infection with HBV is unknown, but their proper use might reduce transmission),
by sharing drugs, needles, or "works" when "shooting" drugs, through needlesticks
or sharps exposures on the job, or from an infected mother to her baby during
birth. Can
I donate blood if I have had any type of viral hepatitis?
If
you had any type of viral hepatitis since age 11, you are not eligible to donate
blood. In addition, if you ever tested positive for hepatitis B or hepatitis C,
at any age, you are not eligible to donate, even if you were never sick or jaundiced
from the infection. How
long can HBV survive outside the body? HBV
can survive outside the body at least 7 days and still be capable of transmitting
infection. For
how long is hepatitis B vaccine effective?
Long-term
studies of healthy adults and children indicate that hepatitis B vaccine protects
against chronic HBV infection for at least 15 years, even though antibody levels
might decline below detectable levels. Are
booster doses of hepatitis B vaccine needed?
No,
booster doses of hepatitis B vaccine are not recommended routinely. Data show
that vaccine-induced hepatitis B surface antibody (anti-HBs) levels might decline
over time; however, immune memory (anamnestic anti-HBs response) remains intact
indefinitely following immunization. People with declining antibody levels are
still protected against clinical illness and chronic disease. What
does the term "hepatitis B carrier" mean?
Hepatitis
B carrier” is a term that is sometimes used to indicate people who have
chronic (long-term) infection with HBV. If infected, two percent to 6% of persons
over 5 years of age; 30% of children 1-5 years of age; and up to 90% of infants
develop chronic infection. Persons with chronic infection can infect others and
are at increased risk of serious liver disease including cirrhosis and liver cancer.
In the United States, an estimated 1.25 million people are chronically infected
with HBV. If
my hepatitis B vaccination series is interrupted, do I have to start over?
No.
If the vaccination series is interrupted, resume with the next dose in the series.
What
is the treatment for chronic hepatitis B?
There
are six FDA-approved drugs for the treatment of hepatitis B: Baraclude (entecavir)
Epivir-HBV (lamivudine; 3TC)
Intron A (interferon alfa-2b)
Hepsera (adefovir dipivoxil)
Pegasys
(peginterferon alfa-2a)
Tyzeka (telbivudine)
Who
is at risk? In
2001, an estimated 78,000 persons in the U.S. were infected with HBV. People of
all ages get hepatitis B and about 5,000 die per year of sickness caused by HBV.
How
great is your risk for hepatitis B? One
out of 20 people in the United States will get infected with HBV some time during
their lives. Your risk is higher if you - have
sex with someone infected with HBV
- have
sex with more than one partner
- shoot
drugs
- are a
man and have sex with a man
- live
in the same house with someone who has lifelong HBV infection
- have
a job that involves contact with human blood
- are
a patient or work in a home for the developmentally disabled
- have
hemophilia
- travel
to areas where hepatitis B is common
Your
risk is also higher if your parents were born in Southeast Asia, Africa, the Amazon
Basin in South America, the Pacific Islands, and the Middle East. If
you are at risk for HBV infection, ask your health care provider about hepatitis
B vaccine.
How
do you get hepatitis B? You
get hepatitis B by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected
person; for example, you can become infected by having sex or sharing needles
with an infected person. A baby can get hepatitis B from an infected mother during
childbirth. Hepatitis
B is not spread through food or water or by casual contact.
How
do you know if you have hepatitis B? You
may have hepatitis B (and be spreading the disease) and not know it; sometimes
a person with HBV infection has no symptoms at all. Only a blood test can tell
for sure. If
you have symptoms - your
eyes or skin may turn yellow
- you
may lose your appetite
- you
may have nausea. vomiting, fever, stomach or joint pain
- you
may feel extremely tired and not be able to work for weeks or months
Is
there a cure for hepatitis B? There
are medications available to treat long-lasting (chronic) HBV-infection. These
work for some people, but there is no cure for hepatitis B when you first get
it. That is why prevention is so important. Hepatitis B vaccine is the best protection
against HBV. Three doses are commonly needed for complete protection.
|
If vaccine was never given, children 0-18 years of age should get hepatitis B
vaccine. |
If you are pregnant, should
you worry about hepatitis B? If
you have HBV in your blood, you can give hepatitis B to your baby. Babies who
get HBV at birth may have the virus for the rest of their lives, can spread the
disease, and can get cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer.
All
pregnant women should be tested for HBV early in their pregnancy. If the blood
test is positive, the baby should receive vaccine along with another shot, hepatitis
B immune globulin (called HBIG), at birth. The second dose of vaccine should be
given at 1-2 months of age and the third dose at 6 months of age.
Who
should get vaccinated? - All
babies, at birth
- All
children 0-18 years of age who have not been vaccinated
- Persons
of any age whose behavior puts them at high risk for HBV infection
- Persons
whose jobs expose them to human blood
What
is the rationale for recommending the hepatitis B vaccination of children and
other groups mentioned above?
Who
should get post-vaccination testing?
- Hepatitis B surface antibody
(anti-HBs) titer (test for immune response) is recommended after three doses of
vaccine are given, only for persons in the following risk groups:
-
health care workers who have the risk of exposure to blood or body fluids in the
workplace (to guide post-exposure prophylaxis *) -
infants born to hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive mothers (to ensure
ongoing protection) -
immunocompromised persons, e.g., dialysis patients, AIDS patients (to ensure protection)
- sex partners
of HBsAg-positive persons (to assure adequate response to vaccination).
Note:
Testing is not recommended after routine vaccination of infants, children, or
adolescents. | 
