Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease that results from infection with the Hepatitis B virus. It can range in severity from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a serious, lifelong illness.

Vaccination against hepatitis B has kept rates of this disease low in the United States and in Mississippi.

Hepatitis B Types and Symptoms

Hepatitis B infection usually lasts a few weeks, but in some people it can become a serious lifelong condition.

Hepatitis B infection can be either acute or chronic depending on how long the virus remains in the body.

Acute hepatitis B infection is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the hepatitis B virus. Acute infection can sometimes lead to chronic infection, but not always.
Chronic hepatitis B infection is a long-term illness that occurs when the hepatitis B virus remains in a person's body after initial exposure. It has symptoms similar to acute hepatitis B, but may take years or decades to appear and have serious health consequences.

Acute Symptoms

Symptoms of acute hepatitis B can include:

Feeling tired
Fever
Joint pain
Loss of appetite
Nausea, stomach pain, throwing up
Yellow skin or eyes (jaundice)
Dark urine or clay-colored stools

Chronic Symptoms

Chronic hepatitis B symptoms can resemble those of acute infection. Chronic infection can also cause:

Liver inflammation
Liver scarring
Cirrhosis of the liver or liver failure
Liver cancer

Who Is Affected

Acute hepatitis: Up to half of all older children, adolescents, and adults experience symptoms of acute hepatitis B, but then clear the virus from their body.

Chronic hepatitis: Most children younger than 5 do not develop symptoms, but their infection can lead to lifelong chronic hepatitis B.

How Hepatitis B is Spread

Hepatitis B is usually spread by the blood or body fluid from an infected person.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with infectious blood or body fluids (e.g., semen, saliva) that penetrate the skin or touch soft tissues such as the mouth or eyes. Infection can be spread by:

Sex with an infected partner
Contact with blood or open sores of an infected person
Contaminated items:
- Needle sticks or sharp instrument exposures
- Sharing items such as razors or toothbrushes with an infected person
- Sharing medical items that have been contaminated with blood from an infected person, such as needles, syringes or glucose monitors
Being born to an infected mother

Hepatitis B is not spread through food or water, sharing eating utensils, breastfeeding, or casual contact like hugging, kissing, hand holding, coughing, or sneezing.

Vaccination and Prevention

Vaccination is the best prevention against hepatitis B.

Hepatitis B vaccine is highly effective at protecting infants, children and adults. Since 2005 it has been a recommended part of vaccinations given to newborns before they leave the hospital.

People with hepatitis B infection, either acute or chronic, can protect others by not sharing personal items, covering any open cuts carefully, and practicing safe sex. If you live with or are exposed to someone with hepatitis B and have not been vaccinated, testing can alert you to possible infection.

Most adults born before 1991 have not been vaccinated against hepatitis B.

Testing

The CDC recommends that all adults be screened for hepatitis B at least once in their lifetime.

Testing for hepatitis B is widely available through healthcare providers and clinical labs statewide. The MSDH Public Health Laboratory also performs hepatitis B testing for county health department patients and as needed in response to outbreaks.

At Risk

Newborns can have hepatitis B infection passed to them from their mother.

Certain groups should be tested more often, including:

All pregnant women during each pregnancy
Infants born to pregnant women with hepatitis B infection
People in living conditions where hepatitis B is more likely to spread

Treatment

Treatment for chronic hepatitis B can be important to prevent liver damage.

For people with acute hepatitis B and experiencing mild symptoms, health care providers usually recommend rest, adequate nutrition, and fluids.

Some people with chronic hepatitis B may need to take medication to help prevent severe liver disease. Current medications do not cure hepatitis B, though, so people who start hepatitis B treatment may need medication throughout their lives.