coming into contact with infected blood through open cuts or the mucous membranes of another person.piercing the skin with equipment that is not properly cleaned, disinfected and sterilised.sharing unsterile or unclean equipment for injecting drugs.Risky activities that can cause infection include: The time from exposure to the hepatitis B virus to the appearance of the illness (if symptoms occur) is 45 to 180 days. If infected blood or body fluids enter another person’s bloodstream, that person may become infected. Hepatitis B is transmitted through contact with blood that contains the hepatitis B virus. in people from parts of the world where hepatitis B is more common, such as:.Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.Treatment for hepatitis B is essential because it is not possible to be a ‘healthy carrier’ of the hepatitis B virus.Ĭhronic hepatitis B infection occurs more commonly in some communities, including: People with chronic hepatitis B infection may not notice any health problems until they develop liver problems such as liver disease (scarring or cirrhosis) or liver cancer later in life. They may have the virus in their bloodstream for most of their life without realising they live with an ongoing infection. Complications of hepatitis BĪ small proportion of people exposed to the hepatitis B virus develop a long-term (chronic) hepatitis B infection. Some people become very ill in the time just after exposure to the virus and need to go to hospital some may even die. Most adults who are exposed to the hepatitis B virus recover completely, and no longer have the virus. Normally, these symptoms disappear in a few weeks, but even when the person feels much better, they may still be infectious. jaundice (the eyes and skin become yellow).discomfort or pain in the liver (under the right ribcage).In more severe cases, hepatitis B can cause: Many people with chronic hepatitis B (defined as infection that persists for at least 6 months) may have had the virus since birth or early childhood, and do not experience symptoms, or are not aware that the symptoms they experience are abnormal, as the symptoms may differ in severity and intensity over time. Some people who are newly infected or have been living with hepatitis B for a long time may have mild, flu-like symptoms, while some do not become sick at all. Most people have no symptoms when they are first infected with hepatitis B. All children and adults at increased risk should be immunised against hepatitis B. Most adults who have hepatitis B recover completely (clear the virus) and do not require ongoing treatment.Īll children born in Australia after 2000 were given immunisation for hepatitis B as part of the childhood immunisation schedule. In about 30 to 40% of cases, infections occur without a known cause.Ĭhildren who get hepatitis B are more likely to have ongoing infection and therefore more likely to develop liver disease or cancer in later life. The virus may also be passed from a pregnant mother to her baby. You can get hepatitis B by having unsafe sex, sharing unsterile piercing or drug injecting equipment, or engaging in other activities where the blood or body fluids of a person living with hepatitis B enters the bloodstream of another person. The virus is found in blood and, to a lesser degree, in body fluids such as semen and vaginal secretions. Hepatitis B (also referred to as hep B) is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and is an infection that can lead to serious liver problems such as liver cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis means ‘inflammation of the liver’.
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