Birth (spread from an infected mother to her baby during birth).People can become infected with the virus from: Hepatitis B is spread when blood, semen, or other body fluid infected with the hepatitis B virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. How common is hepatitis B around the world?Īn estimated 257 million people are living with hepatitis B worldwide. Many more people (about 862,000) are estimated to be living with chronic, long-term hepatitis B. CDC estimates the actual number of acute hepatitis B cases was closer to 21,600 in 2018. Since many people may not have symptoms or don’t know they are infected, their illness is often not diagnosed so it can’t be reported or counted. In 2018, a total of 3,322 cases of acute (short-term) hepatitis B were reported to CDC. How common is hepatitis B in the United States? By contrast, almost all older children (those aged ≥6) and adults infected with the hepatitis B virus recover completely and do not develop chronic infection. About one in three children who get infected before age 6 will develop chronic hepatitis B. The risk goes down as a child gets older. About 9 in 10 infants who become infected go on to develop life-long, chronic infection. The younger a person is when infected with the hepatitis B virus, the greater the chance of developing chronic infection. Who is most likely to get chronic (long-term) hepatitis B?Īge plays a role in whether hepatitis B will become chronic. Over time, chronic hepatitis B can cause serious health problems, including liver damage, cirrhosis, liver cancer, and even death. For other people, acute hepatitis B leads to life-long infection known as chronic hepatitis B. Some people, especially those who get infected in adulthood, are able to clear the virus from their bodies without treatment. For others, acute hepatitis B causes a more severe illness that requires hospitalization. Some people with acute hepatitis B have no symptoms at all or only mild illness. Some people with hepatitis B are sick for only a few weeks (known as “acute” infection), but for others, the disease progresses to a serious, lifelong illness known as chronic hepatitis B.Īcute hepatitis B is a short-term illness that occurs within the first 6 months after someone is exposed to the hepatitis B virus. Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. The page “What is viral hepatitis?” explains in detail the differences between hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. There are vaccines to prevent hepatitis A and hepatitis B however, no vaccine is available for hepatitis C. Hepatitis B and hepatitis C can also begin as short-term infections but in some people, the virus remains in the body and causes chronic, or lifelong, infection. Hepatitis A is usually a short-term infection. Although each can cause similar symptoms, they are spread in different ways and can affect the liver differently. Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, and Hepatitis C are liver infections caused by three different viruses. What is the difference between hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C? In the United States, the most common hepatitis viruses are hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, and hepatitis C virus. However, hepatitis is often caused by a virus. Heavy alcohol use, toxins, some medications, and certain medical conditions can all cause hepatitis. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver.
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