Details of Hepatitis B

This is a serious liver infection happening due to the hepatitis B virus (HBV). For some people, hepatitis B infection turns into a chronic condition, meaning it lasts more than six months, which increases the risk of developing liver failure, liver cancer or cirrhosis.

May include:

• Abdominal pain
• Dark urine
• Fever
• Joint pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weakness and fatigue
• Yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice)

May include:

• Sexual contact
• Sharing of needles
• Accidental needle sticks
• Mother to child

May be recommended:

• Blood tests
• Liver ultrasound
• Liver biopsy

Most patients with chronic infection need treatment for the rest of their lives, which reduces the risk of liver disease and prevents the disease from spreading to others.

Treatment for chronic hepatitis B may include:

Antiviral medications

Interferon injections

Liver transplant

May include:

• Scarring of the liver (cirrhosis)
• Liver cancer
• Liver failure
• Other conditions