Hepatitis B Virus Infection

What is Hepatitis B Virus Infection?

Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). It is a major global health problem. It can cause chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Facts

• Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
• The virus is most commonly transmitted from mother to child during birth and delivery, as well as through contact with blood or other body fluids.
• WHO estimates that in 2015, 257 million people were living with chronic hepatitis B infection (defined as hepatitis B surface antigen positive).
• In 2015, hepatitis B resulted in an estimated 887 000 deaths, mostly from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (i.e. primary liver cancer).
• As of 2016, 27 million people (10.5% of all people estimated to be living with hepatitis B) were aware of their infection, while 4.5 million (16.7%) of the people diagnosed were on treatment.
• Hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccines that are safe, available and effective.

Transmission

·         hepatitis B is most commonly spread from mother to child at birth (perinatal transmission)

·         through horizontal transmission (exposure to infected blood), especially from an infected child to an uninfected child during the first 5 years of life.

If you enjoy giving a head (oral sex), thinking of getting a tattoo, if you like swallowing of sperm, and  unprotected sex , this might interest you:

·         Hepatitis B is also spread by needlestick injury, tattooing, piercing and exposure to infected blood and body fluids, such as saliva and, menstrual, vaginal, and seminal fluids

If you are LGBT or you have multiple sex partners, this might interest you:

·         Sexual transmission of hepatitis B may occur, particularly in unvaccinated men who have sex with men and heterosexual persons with multiple sex partners or contact with sex workers.

Health care and veterinary workers, please note:

·         Transmission of the virus may also occur through the reuse of needles and syringes either in health-care settings or among persons who inject drugs. In addition, infection can occur during medical, surgical and dental procedures, through tattooing, or through the use of razors and similar objects that are contaminated with infected blood

Vaccination is key, sterilization is key and having protected sex is also crucial.

Symptoms

·         Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

·         A small subset of persons with acute hepatitis can develop acute liver failure, which can lead to death.

·         In some people, the hepatitis B virus can also cause a chronic liver infection that can later develop into cirrhosis (a scarring of the liver) or liver cancer.

Who is at risk of chronic disease?

In infants and children:

• 80–90% of infants infected during the first year of life develop chronic infections; and
• 30–50% of children infected before the age of 6 years develop chronic infections.

In adults:

• less than 5% of otherwise healthy persons who are infected as adults will develop chronic infections; and
• 20–30% of adults who are chronically infected will develop cirrhosis and/or liver cancer.

 HOT!!! 

HBV-HIVCOINFECTION

According to WHO, about 1% of persons living with HBV infection (2.7 million people) are also infected with HIV. Conversely, the global prevalence of HBV infection in HIV-infected persons is 7.4%. Since 2015, WHO has recommended treatment for everyone diagnosed with HIV infection, regardless of the stage of disease. Tenofovir, which is included in the treatment combinations recommended as first-line therapy for HIV infection, is also active against HBV.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. Therefore, care is aimed at maintaining comfort and adequate nutritional balance, including replacement of fluids lost from vomiting and diarrhoea. SEE A DOCTOR. NO SELF MEDICATION!

 Unfortunately,

In most people, however, the treatment does not cure hepatitis B infection, but only suppresses the replication of the virus. Therefore, most people who start hepatitis B treatment must continue it for life.

Challenging Realities

There is still limited access to diagnosis and treatment of hepatitis B in many resource-constrained settings. In 2016, of the 257 million people living with HBV infection, 10.5% (27 million) were aware of their infection. Of those diagnosed, the global treatment coverage is 16.7% (4.5 million). Many people are diagnosed only when they already have advanced liver disease.

Among the long-term complications of HBV infections, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma cause a large disease burden. Liver cancer progresses rapidly, and since treatment options are limited, the outcome is generally poor.

Prevention

•          Vaccination is the most assured preventive measure against HBV.
•          All children and adolescents younger than 18 years and not previously vaccinated should receive the vaccine
•          In addition vaccination, implementation of blood safety strategies, including quality-assured screening of all donated blood and blood components used for transfusion, can prevent transmission of HBV.
•          Safe injection practices, eliminating unnecessary and unsafe injections, can be effective strategies to protect against HBV transmission.
•          Safer sex practices, including minimizing the number of partners and using barrier protective measures (condoms), also protect against transmission.

Stay safe guys!

xxx 😘 ❤️❤️

Gpland  

From

The House_House_of _GP