Hepatitis B is a liver infection brought on by the hepatitis B virus. The infection can be either acute (brief and severe) or chronic (long-term).Chronic HBV is defined as the presence of hepatitis B surface antigens (HBsAg) for a period of more than 6 months.
How does a person get hepatitis B virus ?
Hepatitis B is caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is primarily transmitted through contact with infected blood, semen, or other bodily fluids. Here are some common ways HBV is transmitted:
- Sexual Contact: Unprotected sexual intercourse with an infected person is a common mode of transmission. HBV can be present in semen and vaginal fluids.
- Sharing Needles: Sharing needles or other drug paraphernalia with an infected person can lead to transmission.
- Mother-to-Child Transmission: HBV can be passed from an infected mother to her baby during childbirth.
- Close Household Contact: Living in close quarters with an infected person can increase the risk of transmission through sharing personal items like razors or toothbrushes.
- Unsafe Medical Procedures: Inadequately sterilized medical equipment and unsafe medical practices can also lead to transmission.
Symptoms of Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B can have a wide range of symptoms, and some people may not experience any symptoms at all. The severity of the infection can vary from person to person. Common symptoms include:
- Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin and eyes.
- Fatigue: Persistent tiredness and weakness.
- Abdominal Pain: Pain or discomfort in the upper right side of the abdomen.
- Dark Urine: Urine may become dark in color.
- Loss of Appetite: A decrease in appetite and weight loss.
- Nausea and Vomiting: Feeling queasy or vomiting.
- Joint Pain: Pain in the joints.
- Fever: Low-grade fever may be present.
Symptoms typically appear one to four months after exposure, but they can take longer to manifest in some cases.
Causative agent
HBV is a double stranded DNA with highly complex genome organization, life cycle and natural history.
Hepatitis B is lethal, right?
Acute hepatitis B rarely results in death. About 15% of people with chronic hepatitis B pass away. A quarter of those who contract the illness as children pass away from it.
Diagnosis
- Blood tests. Blood tests can detect signs of the hepatitis B virus in your body and tell your provider whether it’s acute or chronic. A simple blood test can also determine if you’re immune to the condition.
- Liver ultrasound. A special ultrasound called transient elastography can show the amount of liver damage.
- Liver biopsy. Your provider might remove a small sample of your liver for testing to check for liver damage. This is called a liver biopsy. During this test, your provider inserts a thin needle through your skin and into your liver and removes a tissue sample for laboratory analysis.
Treatment & Management of Hepatitis B
Although there are therapeutic options for HBV, there is still no known cure for the disease.
The presence of extra-hepatic HBV reservoirs, HBV integration into the host genome, and an intracellular conversion pathway that replenishes the pool of transcriptional templates in the hepatocyte nucleus without the need for reinfection make the eradication of HBV virtually impossible. Because of this, the primary therapeutic objective is ongoing viral suppression.
- Treatment strategies have broadened and include the potent oral antiviral agents tenofovir and entecaviras first-line monotherapies.other the weaker and more outdated agents such as telbivudine, lamivudine and adefovir are still widely used. (The use of lamivudine or adefovir as monotherapy is no longer recommended and should be avoided if at all possible, owing to the high rates of resistance reported with these drugs.)
- Pegylated interferon (peginterferon) alfa-2a has re-emerged as a viable alternative to oral antiviral agents in the treatment of chronic HBV.
Prevention
To be completely protected against hepatitis B, the vaccination must be administered in all recommended doses. It’s crucial to keep in mind that infants with infected moms must receive their first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine in the delivery room or within the first 12 hours of life.
1st Shot – Newborns should get this dose in the delivery room at any time.
Second Shot: At least a month (or 28 days) following the first shot
3rd Shot – 2 months and at least 4 months (16 weeks) after the first and second shots. The third shot should be administered to infants who are at least 24 weeks old.
Engerix-B, Heplisav-B, and Recombivax HB are examples of hepatitis B vaccines approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
