Hepatitis B is a highly infectious blood borne virus. The virus is capable of causing inflammation of the liver that can result in varying degrees of liver damage.
Hepatitis B can cause an acute (short-lived) infection or a chronic (long-term) infection, sometimes life-long.
Many people with acute hepatitis recover from the infection quickly. Some experience no symptoms and therefore will be unaware of the infection. However, for a minority of people, a severe infection may require a liver transplant.
Around one in 10 infected adults will develop chronic hepatitis B if the condition is left untreated.
There is a vaccine to prevent hepatitis B infection.
Signs and symptoms of hepatitis B Many people infected with hepatitis B do not have any symptoms. For others the symptoms may take up to six months to appear. These may range from a mild to serious illness, sometimes requiring hospital admission. Symptoms may vary in severity and can include:
• Tiredness; • Aches and pains; • Fever; • Muscle aches; • Loss of appetite; • Nausea and sickness; • Diarrhoea; • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and/or whites of the eyes).
Transmission and prevention of hepatitis B The hepatitis B virus is present in body fluids such as blood, saliva, semen and vaginal fluid, breast milk as well as vomit and faeces if blood is present. In theory it is possible for the virus to be transmitted from one person to another if any of the above fluids are infected and able to enter the bloodstream of another person.
The main routes for transmission of the virus are:
• During vaginal, anal or any form of oral sex (including rimming, which is licking the anus) with an infected person; • Tattooing and/or piercing with equipment which has not been properly sterilised; • Sharing needles, syringes or other drug paraphernalia (including filters, spoons and water) with someone who is infected; • Sharing drug snorting equipment e.g. cocaine straws; • Sharing razors, hair clippers or toothbrushes; • A hepatitis B-positive mother to her baby during pregnancy, delivery or while breastfeeding; • A needle stick injury involving infected blood; • From donated blood, blood products or organ transplants in countries where screening is not undertaken or in the UK prior to 1991.
There are a number of ways to reduce the risk of transmitting the hepatitis B virus, they include:
• Always using a male or female condom for vaginal, anal and oral sex; • Ensuring any equipment used for tattooing and/or piercing is properly sterilised; • Never sharing injecting equipment, e.g. needles and other injecting paraphernalia; • Never sharing snorting equipment e.g. cocaine straws; • Not sharing razors, hair clippers or toothbrushes; • Ensuring the babies of hepatitis B-positive mothers receive vaccine after birth and are not breastfed; • Not breastfeeding or donating breast milk; • Ensuring any donated blood, blood products or organs are screened for hepatitis B; • Taking appropriate precautions to reduce risk of needle stick injury e.g. wearing gloves.
Treatment of hepatitis B Following a period of illness, most people eventually recover and acquire life-long protection against the virus.
If hepatitis B infection continues for more than six months and liver function test results cause concern, treatment is usually recommended. The current recommended treatment for hepatitis B is interferon alpha, administered by injection three times a week for between four and six months.
Additional antiviral drugs can be used – usually either lamivudine or adefovir (both tablets taken once a day).
