What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a serious public health problem that affects people of all ages in the United States and around the world. Each year, approximately 78,000 people become infected with hepatitis B in the United States . Of those, approximately 22,000 result in acute clinical disease. The disease is caused by a highly infectious virus that attacks the liver.
Clinical symptoms associated with acute hepatitis B infection occur in 30-50% of infected adults and might include:
 Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes). - Extreme fatigue and unable to work for weeks or months.
- Loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting.
- Abdominal or joint pain.
 Is Hepatitis B serious?
Approximately 2-10% of infected adults develop a chronic Hepatitis B infection. While they may remain asymptomatic, it is this group that is at high risk for developing cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer, or liver failure. Approximately 5000 people in the US die each year from HBV infections. |
How common are HBV infections?
CDC estimates that between 78,000 and 81,000 people become infected every year in the U.S. Most primary infections in adults are self-limiting and completely resolve within 6 months of onset. Many infections also appear to be subclinical and are detected only by serologic testing and other methods.
- Approximately 30% of all people who become infected do not have any symptoms of infection.
- Between 2% and 10% of all people who become infected may become "chronic carriers" of HBV. Although they might be without symptoms, they carry the virus and can infect others .
- There are an estimated 1.25 million chronically infected persons in the United States .
- It is estimated that 4.9% of all Americans have been infected with HBV.
Is there a treatment for Hepatitis B infections?
 There is no cure for acute hepatitis B infections. However, three drugs currently licensed as a treatment for chronically infected persons are Adefovir dipivoxil, alpha interferon, and lamivudine. Without a "cure" available for new infections, efforts have been to focus on the prevention of the disease. As a result, a highly effective vaccine is available.
How effective is the HBV vaccine? In 1983 there were 17,000 new cases (386/100,000) among healthcare workers, while in 1995 there were only 400 occupationally acquired infections (9.1/100,000). With the introduction of the HBV vaccine to healthcare workers, the period from 1983 to 1995 had a 95% decrease in new cases among healthcare workers. |
