Hepatitis B
Alternate Names : Serum Hepatitis
What can be done to prevent the infection?
People can prevent this infection by:
avoiding high risk behaviors such as intravenous drug use and needle
punctures
practicing safer
sex
having the hepatitis B vaccine
Hepatitis B immunoglobulin, or HBIG, is a special medication composed of
antibodies to the hepatitis B virus. It is used to treat babies born to mothers
with hepatitis B. It is also given to people exposed to hepatitis B, for
instance, by an accidental needle stick. It confers immediate immunity. HBIG
can be given at the same time as the hepatitis B vaccine.
What are the long-term effects of the infection?
Chronic hepatitis can lead to:
cirrhosis
and liver failure in
adults, which does not generally occur in children. Cirrhosis causes multiple
problems, including the possibility of liver
cancer.
illnesses in other parts of the body, such as
kidney
damage or low blood counts
cancer of the
liver
increased risk of death in people with
HIV
What are the risks to others?
The hepatitis B virus has been found in blood, saliva, semen, and vaginal
secretions of infected individuals. It can be spread by sexual contact with an
infected person, passed on to a newborn from an infected mother during
childbirth, or transmitted through contact with infected blood or bodily fluids.
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