What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis B is a contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It can be prevented with a vaccine. This infection can last a few weeks or become a long-term (chronic) condition. About one in two people with hepatitis B do not know that they are infected. Healthcare providers and laboratories are required to report cases of hepatitis B to the Arkansas Department of Health.
Transmission
Hepatitis B is primarily spread when blood, semen, or other body fluids—even in very small amounts—from a person with hepatitis B enter the body of someone who is not infected.
The CDC recommends that all adults be screened for hepatitis B at least once in their lifetime through a blood test. Some people should be tested more often, including:
- All pregnant women during each pregnancy
- Infants born to pregnant women with hepatitis B
- People with ongoing risk for exposures
Anyone can get hepatitis B, but some people are at higher risk. This includes:
- Infants born to mothers with hepatitis B
- People born in certain countries where hepatitis B is common
- People born in the United States who were not vaccinated as infants or whose parents were born in countries with high rates of hepatitis B
- People with certain medical conditions, including:
- Hepatitis C
- People with sexually transmitted infections, such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
- People on dialysis
Additional risk factors, it includes:
- People who have been in jail or prison
- People who inject drugs or share needles, syringes, or other types of drug equipment
- Sex partners of people who have hepatitis B
- Men who have sex with men
- People who live with someone who has hepatitis B
- Healthcare and public safety workers who are exposed to blood on the job
Types of Hepatitis B
There are two types of hepatitis B:
- Acute hepatitis B, which happens within six months of exposure to HBV. Some people may have no symptoms or only a mild illness. Others may have a more severe illness requiring hospitalization.
- Chronic hepatitis B, a chronic condition that acute hepatitis B can lead to. Left untreated, chronic hepatitis B can cause serious health problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death.
Determining which type of hepatitis B (acute or chronic) you have depends on several factors, including how long you have had the virus in your body, the health of your liver, and other factors. A blood test will show which one you have.
Symptoms
Most people who get hepatitis B will experience one or more of the following symptoms:
- Fever
- Dark urine or clay-colored stools
- Feeling tired
- Joint pain
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea, stomach pain, throwing up
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (known as jaundice)
Treatment
There are no medications available for acute hepatitis B. Healthcare providers typically recommend rest, good nutrition, and fluids for anyone experiencing mild symptoms.
There are medications available for chronic hepatitis B, but they are not a cure and may only be helpful for some people. For those who benefit, these treatments can help prevent serious liver disease.
If you are diagnosed with acute or chronic hepatitis B, follow up with a healthcare provider who specializes in infectious, digestive, or liver diseases. They will need to do regular tests to monitor how your liver is working.
Prevention
The best way to prevent hepatitis B is through vaccination. You need to get all shots in the series to be fully protected.
CDC recommends the hepatitis B vaccine for:
- All infants
- All children and adolescents younger than age 19 who have not been vaccinated
- Adults age 19-59
- Adults aged 60 and older with risk factors for hepatitis B
CDC also notes that the hepatitis B vaccine may also be given to adults aged 60 years and older without known risk factors for hepatitis B. Learn more about who should be vaccinated for hepatitis B: screening questionnaire.
For more information
- Learn more about Hep B here.
- Learn about the Hep B vaccine here.
- Hepatitis B fact sheet
- Find the closest Local Health Unit at the ADH List of Local Health Units
For Healthcare Providers
- Learn clinical information about this disease here.
- Report a case at Communicable Disease Reporting Form.
- Learn more information about disease reporting at here.
- Learn more about the mandatory reportable disease list here.
- Read the Hepatitis B vaccine information statement.
- CDC’s Pink Book
Contact Information
Outbreak Prevention and Response
4815 W. Markham St., Slot 77
Little Rock, AR 72205
Phone: 501-661-2381
Fax: 501-661-2428