Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Toxins, certain drugs, some diseases, heavy alcohol use, and bacterial and viral infections can all cause hepatitis. Hepatitis is also the name of a family of viral infections that affect the liver; the most common types in the United States are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease resulting from being infected by the hepatitis B virus. The severity of hepatitis B infection can present as a mild (acute) illness lasting for a few weeks or can be a more serious (chronic) infection lasting an individual’s lifetime.    

Acute hepatitis B virus infection is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the hepatitis B virus. Acute hepatitis B infection, in some cases, can often lead to chronic hepatitis.

Chronic hepatitis B virus infection is long-term due to the virus remaining in a person’s body.

Although the number of acute hepatitis B infections has been declining each year, an estimated 46,000 new infections occurred in 2006. Experts believe the decline is due to widespread vaccination of children and uninfected adults. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statistics show 1.4 million people in the United States may have chronic hepatitis B and not know it. Over time, approximately 15%-25% of people with chronic hepatitis B develop serious liver problems, including , cirrhosis,(liver damage), liver failure and liver cancer. Every year up to 4,000 people in the United States and more than 600,000 people worldwide die from hepatitis B related liver disease.

Hepatitis B is usually spread when blood, semen, or another body fluid from a person infected with the hepatitis B virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. Hepatitis B infection can happen through sexual contact with an infected person and through sharing needles such as tattoo needles, syringes, or other drug injection equipment. An infected mother can pass the hepatitis B virus to her baby at birth. The hepatitis B virus is not passed through breastfeeding, sharing eating utensils, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, sneezing or tears. Unlike other types of hepatitis, hepatitis B is not spread by contaminated food or water.

Yes. In the United Sates, hepatitis B is mostly spread through sexual contact. The hepatitis B virus is 50-100 times more infectious than HIV and can be passed through the exchange of body fluids, such as semen, vaginal fluids, and blood.

Acute symptoms are not always present, especially in young children. Symptoms in adults usually appear within 3 months of exposure. Symptoms that can last for a few weeks to several months include:

Fever
Fatigue
Loss of appetite
Dark urine
Nausea
Vomiting
Abdominal pain
Joint pain
Jaundice
Clay-colored bowel movements

There is no cure for hepatitis B.  The best way to prevent hepatitis B is by getting vaccinated.

The best way to prevent contracting hepatitis B is to get vaccinated. The hepatitis B vaccine series is usually given as 3 shots over a 6 month period. The entire series is needed for long-term protection. However, once a person has been infected with the hepatitis B virus, the vaccine does not provide protection against the disease.

• Anyone having sex with an infected partner
• People with multiple sex partners
• Anyone with a sexually transmitted disease
• Men who have sexual contact with other men
• Users of injection drugs
• People who live with someone who is infected
• People with chronic liver disease, end stage renal disease, or HIV infection
• Healthcare and public safety workers exposed to blood
• Residents or staff of facilities for developmentally disabled persons
• Travelers to certain foreign countries
• Infants or children younger than 19 years old who have not been vaccinated
• Anyone who wants to be protected
  from hepatitis B

For more information, visit your local health department or visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov/hepatitis.