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Frequently
Asked Questions About Hepatitis B GENERAL INFORMATION
What
is hepatitis B? What
are the symptoms of viral hepatitis?
How is hepatitis B virus spread? HBV is spread when blood or body fluids from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected. For example, HBV is spread through having sex with an infected person without using a condom (the efficacy of latex condoms in preventing infection with HBV is unknown, but their proper use might reduce transmission), by sharing drugs, needles, or "works" when "shooting" drugs, through needlesticks or sharps exposures on the job, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth. Can
I donate blood if I have had any type of viral hepatitis? How long can HBV survive outside the body? HBV can survive outside the body at least 7 days and still be capable of transmitting infection. For
how long is hepatitis B vaccine effective? Are
booster doses of hepatitis B vaccine needed? What
does the term "hepatitis B carrier" mean? If
my hepatitis B vaccination series is interrupted, do I have to start over? What
is the treatment for chronic hepatitis B? In 2001, an estimated 78,000 persons in the U.S. were infected with HBV. People of all ages get hepatitis B and about 5,000 die per year of sickness caused by HBV.
How great is your risk for hepatitis B? One out of 20 people in the United States will get infected with HBV some time during their lives. Your risk is higher if you
Your risk is also higher if your parents were born in Southeast Asia, Africa, the Amazon Basin in South America, the Pacific Islands, and the Middle East. If you are at risk for HBV infection, ask your health care provider about hepatitis B vaccine. You get hepatitis B by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person; for example, you can become infected by having sex or sharing needles with an infected person. A baby can get hepatitis B from an infected mother during childbirth. Hepatitis B is not spread through food or water or by casual contact. How do you know if you have hepatitis B? You may have hepatitis B (and be spreading the disease) and not know it; sometimes a person with HBV infection has no symptoms at all. Only a blood test can tell for sure. If you have symptoms
Is there a cure for hepatitis B? There are medications available to treat long-lasting (chronic) HBV-infection. These work for some people, but there is no cure for hepatitis B when you first get it. That is why prevention is so important. Hepatitis B vaccine is the best protection against HBV. Three doses are commonly needed for complete protection.
If you are pregnant, should you worry about hepatitis B? If you have HBV in your
blood, you can give hepatitis B to your baby. Babies who get HBV at birth
may have the virus for the rest of their lives, can spread the disease,
and can get cirrhosis of the liver or liver cancer.
What is the rationale for recommending
the hepatitis B vaccination |
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