Hepatitis B

Acute or Chronic Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B Virus (HAV)

Single and Double Strand circular DNA; envelop; spherical virion; four protien coding genes C, P, S, and X

Humans, Chimps

Compromised Skin or mucosa

Person to person via contaminated body fluids (blood/semen); sharing items contaminated wlood; vertical; viabilityof virus outside host is 7 days

8-21 weeks

Virus enters blood stream and travels to liver. Attaches and enters liver cells vis HBsAg. Immune cells attack infected liver cells causing cirrhosis. Integration of viral DNA into the host genome can lead to cancer

Fever, Fatigue, LOA, Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay colored bowel movements, joint pain, Jaundice

Up to 6 months

months-yrs; asymptomatic

Chronic infection (10%); liver cirrhosis, cancer, or failure; Mortality- 15-20% of chronically infected

90% 0-1 yr; 25-50% 1-5 yr; 6-10% 10+ yr

May be symptom free or suffer from malaise, LOA, general fatigue

Vaccination, practice universal precautions, avoid contaminated fluids, hep. B immune globulin can prevent infection if an unvaccinated individual is exposed to contaminated fluids

Acute- rests, fluids, adequate nutrition; Chronic- Antivirals, interferon