Hepatitis B Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
Hepatitis B is one of the most common infectious diseases in the world, infecting approximately two billion people worldwide1. It is a virus that infects the liver.
Hepatitis B infections are either acute or chronic. Acute hepatitis B can last from a few weeks to a few months. Most adults with acute infection will fully recover and not have any lasting health problems.
Chronic hepatitis B is more serious. A person with chronic hepatitis B may have the disease for life. Chronic hepatitis B can lead to more serious liver disease, including liver cancer. Worldwide, approximately 350 million people are infected with chronic hepatitis B. 1. Some 15 to 25 percent of people with chronic hepatitis B will eventually die from liver disease.2 It is urgent that people with or those who are at risk of chronic hepatitis B get a hepatitis B blood test.
While chronic hepatitis B cannot be cured after infection, a healthcare provider can prescribe certain medications that can help manage the disease.
References
1 World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs204/en/, accessed 1 August 20072 World Health Organization, http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs204/en/, accessed 1 August 2007
3 Center for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/fact.htm, accessed 20 June 2007
