Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)

The hepatitis B virus (HBV) can cause hepatitis, an infection that causes inflammation of the liver. An acute HBV infection can occur when a non-infected person is exposed to the virus. A chronic HBV infection can develop over time if the virus remains in the body. Life-threatening complications of hepatitis include cirrhosis of the liver, liver cancer, and liver failure.

Symptoms of someone infected with Hepatitis B can include the following:

• Fever

• Fatigue

• Loss of appetite

• Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain

• Dark urine

• Clay-colored bowel movements

• Joint pain

• Jaundice (yellow color in the skin or eyes)

Not all people infected with HBV show symptoms. Even without symptoms, HBV-infected individuals can still be infectious to others. The Hepatitis B virus can be infectious on surfaces for up to 7 days in the presence of dried blood, increasing the risk of exposure through indirect contact.

There are no medications available to treat an acute HBV infection. Limited medications are available for chronic infections. A vaccination to prevent HBV infection is available. It has relatively few adverse side effects and is well tolerated by most of the population.