Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is one of several types of hepatitis (liver inflammation). Many acute cases of hepatitis B get better on their own, but chronic hepatitis B often requires treatment with medications. Among the ways in which the hepatitis B virus can be spread are contact with infected blood and sex with an infected person. The hepatitis B virus can also be transmitted from an infected mother to her child during childbirth. The best way to prevent hepatitis B is through the hepatitis B vaccine.

 

What Is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver caused by a virus (specifically, the hepatitis B virus). Most people who get hepatitis B can get rid of the virus on their own, but others can develop chronic (or life-long) hepatitis B.
 
Besides hepatitis B, there are several other types of viral hepatitis, including hepatitis A, C, D, E, and G.
 

Cause of Hepatitis B

The cause of hepatitis B is an infection with the hepatitis B virus. The hepatitis B virus is a DNA virus that belongs to the genus Orthohepadnavirus of the Hepadnaviridae family.
 
(Click Hepatitis B Causes for more information about the cause of hepatitis B.)
 

Acute Versus Chronic Hepatitis B

There are two types of hepatitis B -- acute (recently acquired) and chronic (life-long).
 For most people with acute hepatitis B, symptoms gradually get better within a couple of months. These people with have no long-lasting liver damage and will recover completely.
 
For some people, the body is not able to completely get rid of the virus. These people end up having a long-term liver infection. This is called chronic hepatitis B. People with chronic hepatitis B can infect others and are at an increased risk of serious liver disease, including cirrhosis and liver cancer. In the United States, an estimated 1.25 million people are chronically infected with HBV.
 
(Hepatitis B Continued: Page 2)
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
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