What is Hepatitis B?
Hepatitis is an infection which damages the liver organ known to be responsible for processing of different nutrients, filtering of the blood, and fighting of infections. Hepatitis B is a continuous type of hepatitis infection caused by a double-stranded DNA virus known as Hepatitis B virus (HBV) (Trépo, 2014). Hepatitis B infection can either be acute or chronic. Acute Hepatitis B occurs during the first 6 months of infection while Chronic Hepatitis B is the term used to describe the instance where the virus stays in the body and the person develops a lifelong disease (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010).
The disease can be diagnosed by evaluating the blood of patients for HBV serological markers such as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), hepatitis B surface antibody (HBsAb), and even hepatitis B core antibody (HbcAb). These serological markers can also determine whether the person is contagious, in recovery, or immune to the virus. The serological marker that increases during the acute stage of the infection is HBcAb. On the other hand, the presence of HBsAg indicates that the person is contagious. Lastly, the HBsAb marker appears when the person is already in recovery (Wilkins, et al., 2010).
Why is Hepatitis B a problem?
Hepatitis B is considered as one of the major public health concerns globally. In the United States alone, approximately 19,764 individuals have been recorded to be infected by this disease in 2013 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015).
It is considered as a global problem because of its life-threatening effect when it damages the patient’s liver. Aside from this, individuals exposed to the virus are at risk of developing chronic infection which increased their chances of dying from cirrhosis and liver cancer. It has been estimated that 240 million people are chronically infected with the virus while approximately 780,000 individuals are dying every year as a result of the different complications of hepatitis B (World Health Organization, 2015).
The prevalence of HBV carriers in low prevalence areas like the United States, Canada, Western Europe, New Zealand and Australia is 0.1% to 2%. On the other hand, high prevalence areas like Southeast Asia, China, and sub-Saharan Africa have reported the prevalence to have reached 10%-20% (Teo, 2014).
What are the symptoms of Hepatitis B?
Majority of the individuals do not experience any symptoms during the acute phase of the infection. However, a small number of individuals experience jaundice or the yellow coloration of the skin and eyes, dark urine, poor appetite, extreme fatigue, nausea, and even vomiting. Some people also experience chronic liver infection which can later develop into liver cancer or cirrhosis. Other symptoms are the clinical signs of the acute infection such as tenderness of the liver, splenomegaly, and hepatomegaly. The acute phase of HBV infection usually lasts for two to four months (World Health Organization, 2015; Wilkins, et al., 2010).
How is Hepatitis B transmitted?
Hepatitis B infection can be transmitted from one person to another through vertical transmission from the mother to the embryo, fetus, or baby and contact with blood, semen, and other body fluids of a contaminated individual. The transmission of HBV through these fluids can occur when there is sharing of dirty needles, needle stick injuries, or other contact with body fluids (Nettleman, 2015).
The risk of acquiring the infection may occur if individuals engage in unprotected sex with multiple sexual partners, sharing of needle, living with someone affected with chronic HBV infection, and travelling in areas that have been reported to have high incidence rates for the disease (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2014).
Who are at risk of the disease?
The virus that causes hepatitis B infection can affect infants, children, teenagers, and even adults. However, some groups of individuals are considered to be at higher risk as compared to other populations. Some of the groups who are considered high risk for developing hepatitis B infection include: health care professionals and providers who are exposed to different body fluids, sexually active heterosexuals with more than one sexual partner, men having sexual relationships with another man, individuals affected with sexually transmitted diseases, individuals who partake in illegal drug use, children and individuals from countries where hepatitis B is common, pregnant women, blood transfusion recipients before the year 1992, inmates of a correctional facility, and patients who are diagnosed with kidney disease (Hepatitis B Foundation, 2014).
How is Hepatitis B treated?
Health care professionals advise bed rest, adequate nutrition and fluids, and close medical monitoring for individuals experiencing acute infection. On the other hand, people experiencing chronic infection must be evaluated for possible hepatic problems. The treatment does not only aim to clear HBV DNA but also prevent the development of the complications. Some of the drugs for the treatment of the infection include nucleoside analogues and interferon-based therapies (Aspinall, et al., 2011).
How is Hepatitis B prevented?
The transmission of the virus and development of the infection can be prevented through vaccinations. Vaccines for the disease have been made available since the early 1980s. Some of the safest and most effective vaccines are composed of inactivated HBsAg. The vaccines that are currently used worldwide are already manufactured using yeast or mammalian cells. Majority of the vaccines are administered thrice. The vaccines have also been reported to be most effective for infants, children, and teenagers. On the other hand, reduction of vaccine effectivity have been reported among individuals who are immunosuppressed, diagnosed with liver disease, obese, and smokers (Aspinall, et al., 2011).
References
Aspinall, E.J., Hawkins, G., Frase, A., Hutchinson, S.J., and Goldberg, D. (2011). Hepatitis B prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and care: a review. Occupational Medicine (London) 61(8): 531-540.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2010). Hepatitis B: General Information. CDC. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HBV/PDFs/HepBGeneralFactSheet.pdf [Accessed on 4 Feb 2015].
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2015). Hepatitis B FAQs for Health Professionals. CDC. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hbv/hbvfaq.htm#overview [Accessed on 4 Feb 2016].
Hepatitis B Foundation. (2014). High Risk Groups. Hepatitis B Foundation: Cause for a Cure. Retrieved from http://www.hepb.org/professionals/high-risk_groups.htm [Accessed on 4 Feb 2016].
Mayo Clinic Staff. (2014). Diseases and Conditions: Hepatitis B. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hepatitis-b/basics/risk-factors/con-20022210 [Accessed on 4 Feb 2016].
Nettleman, M. (2015). Hepatitis B. Ehealth. Retrieved from http://www.emedicinehealth.com/hepatitis_b/page2_em.htm#hepatitis_b_transmission_and_causes [Accessed on 4 Feb 2016].
Trépo, C. (2014). Hepatitis B virus infection. The Lancet 384 (9959): 2053-2063.
Wilkins, T., Zimmerman D., and Schade, R. (2010). American Family Physician 81(8): 965-972.
World Health Organization. (2015). Hepatitis B. World Health Organization. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs204/en/ [Accessed on 4 Feb 2016].
