Must Know Top Ten Facts about Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)

What is Hepatitis B Virus?

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that leads to inflammation of the liver. It is caused when a person is infected with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV).

This disease is more infectious than HIV because it is very easily transmitted by blood and other body fluids such as saliva, and seminal fluids. A positive blood test for the Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) indicates that the person has an active hepatitis infection (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Hepatitis B

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Most people do not experience any symptoms during the acute phase of Hepatitis B. However, some people might develop symptoms like jaundice, dark urine, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain (2^✔ ✔Trusted Source
About Hepatitis B

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The HBV can also cause a chronic Hepatitis B infection of the liver that can later develop into liver cirrhosis or liver cancer.

There is no specific treatment for acute Hepatitis B. Bed rest along with adequate nutritional balance and replacement of fluids is recommended. Chronic Hepatitis B can be treated with oral medicines, including tenofovir or entecavir (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
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Top 10 Facts about Hepatitis B

Statistics on Hepatitis B

1. Hepatitis B infection is considered to be the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the world, alongside heart disease and road accidents (4^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Metabolic Regulation of Hepatitis B Virus Infection in HBV-Transgenic Mice
   
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2. It is estimated that approximately 296 million people are chronically infected by the disease, with 1.5 million new infections each year (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   More About Hepatitis B
   
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3. Once infected with the Hepatitis B virus, approximately 5-10% of the people develop a chronic permanent infection (5^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Acute vs. Chronic Hepatitis B
   
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4. It is estimated that India has more than 37 million HBV carriers and these carriers are prevalent in among tribal communities (6^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Tackling the Hepatitis B Disease Burden in India
   
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5. According to Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around 1 million-1.25 million Americans have chronic HBV infection who are potentially infectious to others (7^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Hepatitis B Virus: A Comprehensive Strategy for Eliminating Transmission in the United States Through Universal Childhood Vaccination: Recommendations of the Immunization Practices Advisory Committee (ACIP)
   
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6. It is considered to be 100 times more infectious than HIV/AIDS and can survive nearly 7 days in the infected environment (3^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   More About Hepatitis B
   
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7. Every year around 820,000 people die because of Hepatitis B virus infection (8^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Fast Facts on Global Hepatitis B
   
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8. Every year around 5,000 to 6,000 American deaths were caused by Hepatitis B related liver complications (9^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Hepatitis B Fast Facts Everything you need to know in 2 minutes or less!
   
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Transmission of HBV

9. The virus can be passed onto infants or children by infected mothers during pregnancy, blood products transfusion, or human contact. Hepatitis B is also responsible for more premature deaths worldwide than HIV and malaria. Approximately, 9 out of 10 infants who contract the infection will ultimately develop a persistent, lifelong condition (10^✔ ✔Trusted Source
   Hepatitis: Preventing mother-to-child transmission of the hepatitis B virus
   
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10. According to the CDC, all infants should get the first shot of Hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth and about three shots of this vaccine can provide a lifetime protection. It is a safe and effective vaccine for infants. There is no cure for this infection, but early diagnosis and treatment can slow the progression of cirrhosis, reduce the incidence of liver cancer and improve long-term survival (11^✔ ✔Trusted Source
    Hepatitis B VIS (Interim)
    
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