Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B Fact Sheet
(PDF 16 KB)
Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Hepatitis can be found throughout the world and infects humans, not
animals. The virus can cause
lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer,
liver failure, and death.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are
approximately 350 million people worldwide that are chronically
infected.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that
approximately 1.2 million Americans are chronically infected with HBV,
and an additional 78,000 people are infected each year.
The risk of contracting hepatitis B is greater for the following
groups:
- People that have unprotected sex
- People that inject drugs
- People that have received clotting factors made before 1987
- People that receive hemodialysis
- People that have received blood and organ transplants before
1992
- Infants born to mothers infected with hepatitis B
A vaccine is available for long-term protection against hepatitis B.
The vaccine is given in a series of 3 injections over a 6-month
period.
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