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. A few symptoms of hepatitis B include nausea, diarrhea, yellowing of the skin or eyes (also known as jaundice), and a low-grade fever. Many people who have hepatitis B, however, do not experience any symptoms. When symptoms do occur, they appear 30 to 180 days after hepatitis B transmission. The period between transmission and the start of symptoms is known as the "hepatitis B incubation period."

 

Among the people who are at risk for hepatitis B are intravenous drug users, children of immigrants from disease-endemic areas, infants born to infected mothers, and healthcare workers. The best way to prevent hepatitis B is through the hepatitis B vaccine.