how hepatitis B viruses transmited?

Answer 1

Here is more than you ever wanted to know about Hepatitis B. Hope this helps you. I urge you to visit the Hepatitis B Foundation Website. Click on the module for an interactive course on Hep B.

Hepatitis B is a serious liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Although most people exposed to the virus recover completely, chronic infections can lead to severe liver damage, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer and death.


How is hepatitis B transmitted?
Hepatitis B virus is spread by contact with body fluids of an infected person. These body fluids include blood, semen, vaginal secretions, and saliva. In about 30-40% of cases, the means of transmission is not known.


What is the risk of hepatitis B?
There are approximately 80,000 new cases of hepatitis B infection each year in the United States. About 90-95% of adults recover from hepatitis B in a few months, clearing the virus from their systems and developing immunity. They will never get hepatitis B again: however, blood tests will always show that they were once infected, and blood centers will not accept donated blood from these individuals. Up to 10% of young adults who get the disease become carriers – as many as 1.25 million Americans are hepatitis B carriers. Carriers are people who have the virus in their blood and can infect others, even though they do not feel sick and have no obvious signs or symptoms of hepatitis B.

People infected with hepatitis B who are unable to clear the infection from their bodies in six months are chronically infected with hepatitis B. The younger the person when infected, the greater the risk that the disease will become chronic. Chronic hepatitis B means that the virus is in the blood, infecting liver cells and possibly damaging them. Chronic hepatitis B can lead to cirrhosis, primary liver cancer, liver failure and/or death. An estimated 5,000 people die each year of chronic liver disease associated with HBV infection.

People who are exposed to blood or body fluids of an infected person are at risk. You may also be at risk if you:




Are exposed to bodily secretions, including on the job – as first aid or emergency workers, firefighters, funeral directors, police personnel, dentists, and dental assistants, and medical personnel

Live in the same household with an infected person


Have sex with a carrier of chronically infected person or have more than one sexual partner


Inject illicit drugs


Received a blood transfusion prior to 1975 (when a test to screen blood was developed) or if you have received multiple transfusions of blood or blood products


Have hemophilia


Work or are a patient in a health care or long-term care facility


Work or are incarcerated in a prison


Are bitten so that the skin is broken by someone whose saliva contains the virus


Travel to countries with a high incidence of hepatitis B


Are a hemodialysis patient


How is hepatitis B diagnosed?
The most common symptoms of hepatitis B occur within 25-180 days following exposure and include loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, fever, weakness or tiredness lasting weeks or even months, abdominal pain in the area of the liver (upper right quadrant), dark urine and light-colored stool, joint pain, and yellowing skin and eyes (jaundice).

An estimated 40% of people infected with hepatitis B have no recognizable signs or symptoms and do not know how or when they became infected. The only way the disease can be positively identified is through a blood test. Many people are surprised to learn when they donate blood that they have tested positive for hepatitis B. Hepatitis blood tests are not usually included in the routine blood tests of a physical examination.

The blood tests for hepatitis B may include anti-HBs (surface antibody test), HBsAg (surface antigen test), and anti-HBc (core antibody test). Although anti-HBs and anti-HBc may be found in the blood of individuals who are immune to hepatitis B, the presence of HBsAg indicates infection with the hepatitis B virus. In addition, patients with levels of HBV in their blood may test positive for HBeAg (e antigen) or HBV DNA.


How is hepatitis B treated?
There is no known cure. You can protect yourself against hepatitis B with a vaccine. For full protection, three injections are required. Adults and adolescents should receive the second injection a month after the first. The third dose, considered a booster, is given six months later. Hemodialysis patients and other who are immunocompromised (those taking immunosuppressive drugs or who are infected with HIV) may require larger doses of the vaccine.

Vaccination is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for the following groups of people:



All newborns, infants and children, especially sexually active teenagers


Health care and emergency personnel


Hemodialysis patients


Patients with chronic liver disease


Military personnel


Morticians and embalmers


Patients and staff at institutions for the mentally challenged


Prison inmates


People with multiple sexual partners


Injection drug users


Sexual partners and household members of HBV carriers


International travelers


Members of ethnic or racial groups with a high rate of HBV infection (including African Americans, Latino Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Asian and Pacific Islanders)


FDA-approved treatments for hepatitis B include alfa interferon, lamivudine or adefovir dipivoxil.

What are the lifestyle changes associated with hepatitis B?
Regular visits to your doctor are important. Annual liver function tests and a test for liver cancer are usually recommended. Avoid alcohol because it can harm the liver. Tell your doctor about all drugs you are taking, even over-the-counter ones, such as pain relievers, cold remedies, vitamins, herbs, and dietary supplements. This is important because these drugs may cause liver damage. If you are carrying the virus, you should not donate blood, plasma, body organs, tissue or sperm. Tell your doctor, dentist, and sexual partner that you are a hepatitis B carrier. All pregnant women should be tested for hepatitis B, and all babies should be vaccinated at birth to protect them from being infected.

Answer 2

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Answer 3

HBV, like Hepatitis C and HIV, is a virus transmitted by contact with blood. Like HIV, Hepatitis B can also be spread to sexual partners or babies of mothers (vertical spread) with the virus. The Hepatitis B virus can be found in the blood and, to a lesser extent, saliva, semen and other body fluids of an infected person. It is spread by direct contact with infected body fluids; usually by needle stick injury or sexual contact. Hepatitis B virus is not spread by casual contact.

Those particularly likely to be infected include;

Anyone who has ever injected drugs
Those who have had blood transfusions or organ transplants
Those who have had a needle stick accident from an HBV carrier
Sexual contacts of those who are HBV carriers
Babies of mothers who are HBV carriers

Answer 4

Hepatitis B is largely transmitted through exposure to bodily fluids containing the virus.This includes unprotected sexual contact, blood transfusions, re-use of contaminated needles and syringes, vertical transmission from mother to child during childbirth, and so on.

Answer 5

In addition to the ways of transmission listed by several of the answerers, I thought Hep.B could be transmitted by food handlers not practicing good hygiene--i.e. not washing their hands after using the bathroom.. In OR, food handlers used to have to get a Hep B shot. I don't know if it is still the same today. I hope this is not misinformation, I'm curious why none of the other answerers mentioned it?

Answer 6

Hep B is transmitted from blood to blood contact, most likely by a needle stick or sharing of needles or blood transfusion. There is a series of vaccinations you can receive to prevent exposure.

Answer 7

"HBV is spread when blood from an infected person enters the body of a person who is not infected. For example, HBV is spread through having sex with an infected person without using a condom (the efficacy of latex condoms in preventing infection with HBV is unknown, but their proper use might reduce transmission), by sharing drugs, needles, or "works" when "shooting" drugs, through needlesticks or sharps exposures on the job, or from an infected mother to her baby during birth."

Answer 8

i have had it. alway thought I can never be a part of it. But it has happened. You might catch it whereever you want. Of course unprotected sex is most common. As I did. my answer is. get yourself vacinetad and do not need to ask that question. get the vacine now before is too late.

Answer 9

sharing the same needles

Answer 10

Via blood and unprotected sexual intercourse.