Information about Hepatitis B

Why You Should Care About Hepatitis B
Information provided with permission by the Merck Vaccine Division. Hepatitis B is a serious disease of the liver and one of the most dangerous forms of hepatitis. The virus (HBV) can permanently damage the liver and prevent it from carrying out many of the functions necessary for life. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by certain toxins, drugs, and infections. Infection agents may include bacteria, hepatotropic viruses, and herpes viruses.

Hepatitis B is one of at least five hepatrotropic viruses (A, B, C, D, and E). The prevalence of Hepatitis B is high in many countries, including areas of Africa and Asia, but the disease also affects more than 1 million people in the United States.

Here are some facts about Hepatitis B:

Approximately 200,000-300,000 people get Hepatitis B every year in the United States;
Approximately 10% percent of the people who get Hepatitis B develop a chronic or long-lasting (more than 6 months) condition which can lead to more serious liver diseases, including cancer;
Twenty-five percent of the people who become chronic carriers develop chronic-active hepatitis, often resulting in cirrhosis;
Hepatitis B is second only to smoking as a leading cause of cancer; More than 1 million people in the United States today are infected with HBV, many are not aware that they have the disease or do not know how they got it.

Symptoms Infants and Children who get Hepatitis B usually have no symptoms. The same is true in as many as half of the adults who get the disease. Absence of symptoms does not mean that you are not very sick. The virus can destroy the liver even if there are no noticeable symptoms.

If you get HBV, you may experience some or all of these symptoms:

Flu-like symptoms, including fever, loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, tiredness and mild stomach pain;
Light-colored bowel movements;
Dark-colored urine;
A yellowing of the skin and eyes, a condition known as jaundice.

The only way to know for sure if you have been infected with HBV is to get a simple blood test.

How can you get Hepatitis B? Anyone, at any age, who comes in contact with HBV can become infected. HBV is spread through infected blood or other body fluids. People at high risk of being infected include:

Healthcare workers exposed to blood or body fluids;
Intravenous drug abusers;
Anyone with close household contact with a person infected with HBV;
People with multiple sex partners;
Infants born of HBV-infected mothers;
Anyone who receives a tattoo or body piercing;
Those who share razors or toothbrushes;
Individuals who have unprotected sex;
Predialysis and dialysis patients;
Hemophiliacs;
People with fresh skin breaks, including cuts, scratches, burns or other lesions.

Can Hepatitis B be prevented? Yes, you can take a number of steps to help prevent Hepatitis B. Please talk with your doctor about lifestyle/behavioral changes and vaccination.

Is vaccination against Hepatitis B recommended? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends vaccinating all appropriate infants, children, and adolescents, as well as adults at risk for exposure. Talk with your doctor to see if vaccination is right for you.

Why should people in the general population be vaccinated if they are not at high risk of being infected? More than 30 percent of all those who get Hepatitis B have no known risk factors. So, even if you believe you are not at risk of getting Hepatitis B, you should still help protect yourself because you cannot tell who around you may have Hepatitis B. Unfortunately, those who are unaware that they have Hepatitis B are the ones most likely to spread the disease.

Between 25-50 percent of infants and children under 5 years of age who get Hepatitis B become chronic carriers;
More than 50 percent of all adolescents and adults with Hepatitis B have no symptoms;
More than 30 percent of all individuals have no idea how they got Hepatitis B;
90 percent of all cases reported to the government occur in adolescents and young adults.

How safe is the Hepatitis B vaccine?
More than 1 billion doses of Hepatitis B vaccine have been used around the world since 1981. Hepatitis B is often included in childhood vaccination schedules and is usually given in 3 separate doses. Hepatitis B vaccines are usually well tolerated by patients of all ages. Please talk with your doctor about the vaccine and its possible side effects.

Help protect yourself against Hepatitis B.
Remember, you can never be sure who has Hepatitis B because:

More than 50 percent of all adolescents and adults with Hepatitis B have no symptoms;
More than 50 percent of all individuals have no idea how they became infected.

The reasons why you should care about Hepatitis B are clear. Many people don't know that they are infected with HBV and many who are aware of having the disease don't even know how they got it. Through vaccination, you can help protect yourself against Hepatitis B.