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Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. It causes chronic infection and liver disease and can cause death from cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer.
It is common with its highest prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa, where it is most commonly spread from mother to child at birth or from person to person sexually or via bloody and body fluids. Many people become infected with the virus during childhood. The virus can survive outside the body for at least seven days.
During this time, it can still cause infection if it enters the body of an unvaccinated person. The hepatitis B virus is not spread by contaminated food or water, and cannot be spread casually in the workplace.
Some people have acute illness with symptoms that include yellowing of the skin and eyes, dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. More than 90 per cent of healthy adults who are infected with the hepatitis B virus will recover and be completely rid of the virus within six months.
Children less than six years who become infected with hepatitis B virus are the most likely to develop chronic infections.
Eighty to 90 per cent of infants infected during the first year of life develop chronic infections while 30 to 50 per cent of children infected before the age of six years develop chronic infections.
Hepatitis B is diagnosed in the lab by detection of its marker on blood. World Health Organisation recommends that all blood donations are tested for this marker to avoid transmission to recipients.
There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. The hepatitis B vaccine is the mainstay of hepatitis B prevention. All infants receive the hepatitis B vaccine as part of the pentavalent vaccine at age six, ten and 14 weeks routine immunization schedule.
The complete vaccine series induces protective antibody levels in more than 95 per cent of infants, children and young adults. Protection lasts at least 20 years and is possibly lifelong. The vaccine has an excellent record of safety and effectiveness.
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