TRAVEL & IMMUNISATION CLINIC

HEPATITIS B

What is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver spread by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person.

Increased risk of people catching hepatitis b include:

Unprotected sex.
Exposure to blood or blood products through occupation, such as healthcare work.
Exposure to contaminated needles through injecting drug use, or as a result of accessing medical or dental care, because of needing emergency treatment or those travelling specifically for medical treatment.
Participation in contact sports.
Adoption of children from risk countries.
Long stay travel.

Signs & Symptoms

Symptoms of hepatitis B include:

Flu-like symptoms, including tiredness, a fever, and general aches and pains
Loss of appetite
Feeling and being sick
Diarrhoea
Tummy pain
Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)

These symptoms will usually pass within 1 to 3 months (acute hepatitis B), although occasionally the infection can last for 6 months or more (chronic hepatitis B).

The vast majority of people infected with hepatitis B in adulthood are able to fight off the virus and fully recover within 1 to 3 months.

Although treatment can help, there's a risk that people with chronic hepatitis B could eventually develop life-threatening problems, such as scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) or liver cancer.

Locations

It occurs worldwide with highest rates reported in parts of East Asia and Sub Saharan Africa. Higher rates of infection are also found in the Amazon, southern parts of Eastern and Central Europe, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent. The rates of infection in Western Europe and North America are low.