How Can Hepatitis B Be Prevented
A safe and effective vaccine to prevent hepatitis B is available. The hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for people in high-risk settings who have not already been infected and for infants who are born to infected mothers. It is recommended that all children and adolescents be vaccinated against hepatitis B along with their routine childhood immunizations beginning at birth. A special hepatitis B immune globulin is also available for people who are exposed to the virus. In the event of exposure to hepatitis B, consult a doctor or the local health department.
Immunostaining For Hbv Surface Antigen And Hbv Core Antigen
Immunostaining for HBsAg and HBcAg was performed on frozen sections, using the Ventana i VIEW DAB detection kit and the Dako Envision kit , respectively. Primary monoclonal antibodies to HBsAg , at a 1:100 dilution, and polyclonal antibodies to HBcAg , at a 1:500 dilution, were used. Liver tissue was taken from mice after they were euthanized, and the tissue was stored at 80°C.
What Laboratory Tests Are Available For Hepatitis B
Tests are available to detect the types of antigens used to identify the hepatitis B virus. The tests determine if the virus is present in the body tissue or blood. The amount of each type of antigen present indicates how advanced the disease is and how infective the individual has become.
Other tests are available to detect the bodys reaction to the viral infection or the bodys reaction to vaccination against the virus. These tests work by measuring the number of antibodies present in the blood.
Don’t Miss: All Symptoms Of Hepatitis C
Where Is Hbv Most Common
Hepatitis B is endemic in China and other parts of Asia. Most people in the region become infected with HBV during childhood.
In these regions, 8% to 10% of the adult population are chronically infected. Liver cancer caused by HBV is among the first three causes of death from cancer in men, and a major cause of cancer in women. High rates of chronic infections are also found in the Amazon and the southern parts of eastern and central Europe. In the Middle East and Indian sub-continent, an estimated 2% to 5% of the general population is chronically infected. Less than 1% of the population in western Europe and North American is chronically infected.
What Precautions Should Hepatitis B Carriers Take
Chronic hepatitis B carriers should follow standard hygienic practices to ensure that close contacts are not directly contaminated by his or her blood or other body fluids. Carriers must not share razors, toothbrushes or any other object that may become contaminated with blood. In addition, susceptible household members, particularly sexual partners, should be immunized with hepatitis B vaccine. It is important for carriers to inform their dentist and health care providers.
You May Like: Does Hepatitis B Have A Vaccine
How Common Is It
In 2006, the Public Health Agency of Canada reported the incidence of HBV as 2.0 cases for every 100,000 or about 650 cases reported annually in Canada. In the year 2013, the incident rate was 0.5 per 100,000 . Incidence of the disease varies from region to region but has been declining due to increasing use of the vaccine and universal immunization programs.
Read Also: Hepatitis C Test Results Non Reactive
What Is The Outlook For People With Hepatitis B
The outlook for people with HBV is better now than ever before. You are certainly able to live a full life and help yourself stay healthy. You should make sure to have regular check-ups with a healthcare provider who is qualified to treat hepatitis B, possibly a liver doctor.
Make sure you are vaccinated against hepatitis A. Check with your healthcare provider or pharmacist before taking other medications or over-the-counter products, including supplements and natural products. These could interfere with your medication or damage your liver. For instance, taking acetaminophen in large doses may harm your liver.
Follow the usual guidelines for living a healthy life:
- Eat nutritious foods, choosing from a variety of vegetables, fruits and healthy proteins. It is said that cruciferous vegetables are especially good at protecting the liver.
- Exercise regularly.
- Dont smoke and dont drink. Both tobacco and alcohol are bad for your liver.
- Do things that help you cope with stress, like journaling, talking with others, meditating and doing yoga.
- Avoid inhaling toxic fumes.
Don’t Miss: Hepatitis B Antibody Test Cost
What Are The Types Of Hepatitis B
There are two types of hepatitis B infection: acute and chronic.
Acute
An acute infection happens at the beginning, when you first get infected with hepatitis B. Many people are able to clear it from their bodies and recover. In fact, this is true of about 4 in 5 adults who are infected.
Chronic
If you are not able to clear the infection within six months or longer, you have chronic hepatitis B. It is chronic hepatitis B that leads to inflammation and the serious, and possibly fatal, illnesses of cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. Treatment can slow disease progress, reduce the chance of liver cancer and increase your chances of surviving.
What Should You Do If You Think You Have Hep B
If you think you might be at risk for hep B, there are many ways we can help you. We can offer you support, answer questions and help you find health services near you:
- Get a hep B test: Take a look at our NSW Services Directory to find a hep B testing doctor near you.
- Speak to someone:
- call 1800 803 990 to speak confidentially with one of our Hepatitis Infoline workers
- use our online Live Chat, available on every page of our website.
Recommended Reading: The Cure For Hepatitis C
Why Its Important To Get Tested
Because hepatitis C is a highly infectious virus, the CDC recommends that adults 18 years or older get tested for hepatitis C at least once in their lifetime. This is also true for pregnant people during each pregnancy.
To test whether you have a hepatitis C infection, your healthcare provider will perform a hepatitis C antibody test to determine whether you have antibodies that were created in response to the infection.
If your test is positive, your healthcare provider will also perform a hepatitis C RNA test, which accurately determines whether you have a current infection.
Once it is determined you have an HCV infection, your healthcare provider will recommend the best course of treatment. For most people, treatment with antiviral drugs will be started. There are effective treatments that can cure HCV and prevent liver damage.
Read Also: How Do You Get Rid Of Hepatitis C
Tear Specimen For Experimental Transmission
For experimental transmission, a tear specimen was collected from a 10-month-old girl with chronic HBV infection. The source of her HBV infection was mother-to-child transmission due to the failure of prophylactic treatment. A total of 200 µL of tears were gently collected from her face when she cried, using a 1.0-mL syringe. The 200-µL tear specimen was diluted with 1300 µL of sterile saline, yielding a total volume of 1500 µL. The specimen underwent filter sterilization with a 0.2-µm filter.
Also Check: How To Test For Autoimmune Hepatitis
Can Hep C Survive Outside Body
According to a recent study conducted by Yale School of Medicine and Public Health researchers, the hepatitis C virus can remain infectious on surfaces for up to six weeks, significantly longer than previously thought.
We will be able to find solutions. Despite the fact that the disease cannot be cured, there are some medications that can help to control it. Antiviral drugs, which prevent the virus from replicating, and immune systemboosting therapies, which aid in the bodys ability to fight the virus more effectively, are two examples of drugs that help the body fight the virus. It is not necessary to avoid people with hepatitis C, because they are only likely to become infected through blood contact. Washing and rinsing the washing machine and dishes as usual is not required, and boiling is not. To combat the disease, an antiviral drug and a immunosuppressive therapy are used.
Is Hepatitis B Curable
Theres currently no known cure for hepatitis B, but there are many ways you can prevent infection and avoid transmitting the virus to others.
The most effective and safe way to prevent hepatitis B is to get vaccinated. You can also use barrier methods, like condoms, when having sex and avoid sharing needles.
You May Like: Can Hepatitis C Spread Through Saliva
How You Can Get Hepatitis B
You can contract hepatitis B by:
- Sharing needles while doing drugs, or being tattooed by a needle that isnt clean
- Having unprotected sex
- At birth, if the mother has hepatitis B
- Sharing items like razors, nail clippers, or toothbrushes with someone who has hepatitis B
You cant contract hepatitis B from casual contact, including:
- Hugging someone with the virus
- Using the same toilet as someone with the virus
- Being in the same space as someone with the virus
Tips For Preventing Transmission Through Sex
If youre sexually active with a person who has hepatitis C, there are ways that you can prevent contracting the virus. Likewise, if you have the virus, you can avoid transmitting it to others.
A few steps you can take to reduce the likelihood of sexual transmission include:
- using a condom during all sexual contact, including oral sex
- learning to use all barrier devices correctly to prevent ripping or tearing during intercourse
- resisting engaging in sexual contact when either partner has an open cut or wound on their genitals
- being tested for STIs and asking sexual partners to be tested too
- practicing sexual monogamy
- using extra precautions if youre HIV-positive, as your chance of contracting HCV is much higher if you have HIV
If you have hepatitis C, you should be honest with all sexual partners about your status. This ensures that youre both taking the proper precautions to prevent transmission.
Read Also: How Do You Get Hepatitis From Drinking
You May Like: Blood Tests For Autoimmune Hepatitis
Symptoms Of Hepatitis B
Some people who are infected with the hepatitis B virus have mild, flu-like symptoms and some do not become sick at all. Children who are infected are less likely to have an illness or get sick after getting hepatitis B than adults.
In more severe cases, hepatitis B can cause:
- Loss of appetite.
- Pain in the joints.
Normally, these health problems disappear in a few weeks, but even when the person feels much better, they may still be infectious.
Most adults who become infected with the hepatitis B virus recover completely and do not become infected again. A few people become very ill in the time just after infection and need to go to hospital some may even die.
Hepatitis B Transmission And Risks
Transmission
- Sex with an infected partner
- Acquired at birth from an infected mother
- Sharing injection drug equipment
- Contact with blood or open sores of an infected person
- Needle stick or other skin puncture
- Sharing items such as glucose monitors, razors or toothbrushes with an infected person.
Hepatitis B may also be spread through non-injection drugs as a result of exposure to blood. An unsterilized instrument may transmit HBV during acupuncture, tattooing and body piercing. A human bite may spread hepatitis B.
Hep B is not spread through food or water, sharing eating utensils, breast feeding, hugging, kissing, hand holding, coughing or sneezing.
HBV may live outside the body for at least seven days and still be potentially infectious.
Risk Factors
Hepatitis B vaccination has dramatically reduced the risk of HBV in the United States. To further reduce risk of transmitting hepatitis B, all health care workers and pregnant women are screened and or immunized. Contact your health care provider for a blood test if you havent been immunized and have any of the following hep B risk factors:
You May Like: Hepatitis A Vaccine For Adults
Other Body Fluids And Tissues
Synovial fluid , amniotic fluid, cerebrospinal fluid, and peritoneal fluid can contain the hepatitis B virus, but the risk of transmission to workers is not known.
Feces, nasal secretions, sputum, sweat, tears, urine, and vomit have not been implicated in the spread of hepatitis B. Unless they are visibly contaminated with blood, the risk of contracting hepatitis B from these fluids in the workplace is very low.
Hepatitis B is not transmitted by casual contact. For example, hospital employees who have no contact with blood, blood products, or blood-contaminated fluids are at no greater risk than the general public. However, the virus can spread through intimate contact with carriers in a household setting, possibly because of frequent physical contact with small cuts or skin rashes. The virus can also spread through biting and possibly by the sharing of toothbrushes or razors. It is not spread through sneezing, coughing, hand holding, hugging, kissing, breastfeeding, sharing eating utensils, water or food.
How Do You Get Hepatitis B
-
sharing toothbrushes and razors
-
sharing needles for shooting drugs, piercings, tattoos, etc.
-
getting stuck with a needle that has the Hep B virus on it.
Hepatitis B can also be passed to babies during birth if their mother has it.
Hepatitis B isnt spread through saliva , so you CANT get hepatitis B from sharing food or drinks or using the same fork or spoon. Hepatitis B is also not spread through kissing, hugging, holding hands, coughing, sneezing, or breastfeeding.
You May Like: How Long Before Hepatitis C Symptoms Appear
Treatments For Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B usually clears up on its own without treatment. You may be offered medicine to help with the symptoms, such as painkillers or medicines to stop you feeling sick.
Your GP will refer you to see a liver specialist who will check how well your liver is working.
If hepatitis B lasts for over 6 months it is called long-term hepatitis B.
It is usually treated with antivirals and medicine to help relieve symptoms such as itchiness, pain, and sickness. You will also need to see a liver specialist for regular check-ups.
Can Hepatitis B Spread Through Contaminated Water
Breastfeeding, sharing eating utensils, hugging, kissing, holding hands, coughing, and sneezing are all examples of ways to contract hepatitis B. In contrast to some types of hepatitis, the virus is not spread through contaminated food or water.
Hepatitis B: Avoiding Infection
Although these precautions are taken, there is still a chance that you will catch hepatitis B from a person who has the virus. To avoid contracting hepatitis B, avoid contact with people who are infected. If you become infected, protect yourself from spread by washing your hands frequently and avoiding contact with blood and body fluids.
You May Like: Hepatitis B Reactive What Does It Mean
Is Hepatitis B Contagious
Hepatitis B is highly contagious. Its transmitted through contact with blood and certain other bodily fluids. Although the virus can be found in saliva, its not transmitted through sharing utensils or kissing. Its also not transmitted through sneezing, coughing, or breastfeeding.
Symptoms of hepatitis B may not appear for 3 months after exposure. Symptoms can last for several weeks.
But even without symptoms, you can still transmit the infection to others. The virus can live outside the body and remains infectious for at least
Hepatitis B is a highly contagious condition. Its associated with many serious complications, some of which can be life threatening.
But there are many treatment options available and multiple ways you can prevent infection, including getting vaccinated.
If you suspect you may have been exposed to hepatitis B, its important to talk with a doctor to prevent infection and determine the best course of treatment for you.
Also Check: How To Prevent Hepatitis A
Infectious Diseases That Spread Through Saliva
If youve ever heard of mono, then you know of at least one kissing disease.Mononucleosis is probably one of the most well-known infectious diseases among adolescents. While many people know that they can acquire a sexually transmitted disease from intercourse, there are also many infections that can be spread through mere kissing alone.
Recommended Reading: Where Do You Get Hepatitis C
Where Is The Hepatitis B Virus Found And How Is It Transmitted
Blood is the major source of the hepatitis B virus in the workplace. It can also be found in other tissues and body fluids, but in much lower concentrations. The risk of transmission varies according to the specific source. The virus can survive outside the body for at least 7 days and still be able to cause infection.
How Can I Catch Hbv
Hepatitis B virus is transmitted between people by contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person. In Africa the virus is mainly transmitted early in life, from mother-to-child or between children. HBV is spread through a break in the skin , or through sexual intercourse. HBV is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV. Unlike HIV, HBV can survive outside the body for at least 7 days. During that time, the virus can still cause infection if it enters the body of a person who is not infected.
Unless vaccinated at the time of birth, these babies can become chronic carriers, which means they are infected with the virus for life. Of children who become infected with the virus between one and five years of age, 30-50 percent become carriers.
In many developed countries , patterns of transmission are different than those mentioned above. Today, the majority of infections in these countries are transmitted during young adulthood by sexual activity and injecting drug use. HBV is a major infectious occupational hazard of health workers.
HBV is not spread by contaminated food or water, and cannot be spread casually in the workplace.
The virus incubation period is 90 days on average, but can vary from about 30 to 180 days. HBV may be detected 30 to 60 days after infection and persist for widely variable periods of time.
Also Check: Hepatitis C Non Reactive Test Result
You May Like: Hepatic Crisis In Sickle Cell Disease