Hepatitis B
Background Information
The following information may be attributed to the Ohio Department of Health.
Due to a widespread vaccination effort, the rates of hepatitis B (HBV) have been falling in the United States. Ohio presently reports approximately 160 cases of hepatitis B annually.
WHO gets hepatitis B?
The disease is transmitted by contact with the blood or bodily fluids of an infected person. People at risk of catching the disease are those who have unprotected sex with a partner who has HBV, people whose occupation exposes them to blood and bodily fluids, IV drug-users, and babies born to mothers infected with HBV.
WHAT causes hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus.
WHEN do most cases of hepatitis B occur?
Hepatitis B occurs throughout the year; unlike other viruses there is no seasonal prevalence.
HOW does HBV make people ill?
HBV causes acute and chronic hepatitis although the disease's effect on health is variable. Symptoms of an acute hepatitis B infection include: vomiting, fever, abdominal pain, fatigue, and yellowing of the eyes or skin (jaundice). About 90%-95% of adults recover from acute infection without becoming chronically infected. The risk of becoming chronically ill increases in younger populations where 90% of neonates and 50% of young children will be chronically infected. Chronic hepatitis B can cause complications such as cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer. Some individuals become chronically infected without ever showing the signs of an initial acute infection. Others develop a condition called the chronic carrier state, where they never show symptoms of the disease and do not progress to the chronic infection state, but can still transmit the virus to someone else. No cure exists for hepatitis B although a treatment of alpha-interferon is used to manage the chronic illness.
WHAT about a vaccine?
A hepatitis B vaccine, carried out in three doses, offers the best protection against infection. Someone who knows they have been exposed to the virus, and are not protected through vaccination, can be treated with the hepatitis B immune globin. If treated promptly after the exposure, the immune globin can effectively prevent infection.
MEDIA CONTACT: 614-644-8562.
Last Updated: 09/08/2000 |
