Hepatitis B is a contagious liver disease. It can result in a mild illness (acute hepatitis B) that last several weeks to a serious, life long illness (chronic hepatitis B).

Hepatitis B is found throughout the world. Rates of hepatitis B in the United States have decreased approximately 82 percent since 1990, mostly due to routine vaccination of children against the infection.

Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are diseases caused by three different viruses. Although each can cause similar symptoms, they have different modes of transmission and can affect the liver differently.  

The symptoms of acute hepatitis B include: fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, clay-colored bowel movements, joint pain and jaundice.

Most individuals with chronic hepatitis B can go 20 to 30 years without ever showing symptoms. About 15 to 20 percent of people infected with chronic hepatitis B develop serious health problems, including cirrhosis (scarring of the liver) and liver cancer. 

Hepatitis B is spread when blood, semen or other bodily fluids of an infected person enters the body of an uninfected person. This can happen in a number of ways:

·         Sexual contact

·         Birth (can be passed from mother to child)

·         Sharing of needles, syringes or other drug-injecting devices

·         Sharing items such as razors or toothbrushes

·         Direct contact with blood or open sore

·      An effective vaccine against hepatitis B is available. It is routinely given in a series of three shots over a period of six months. The first shot in the series is usually administered at birth.

·      Usually, only high-risk groups of adults receive the vaccination if they were not vaccinated at birth. High-risk groups include those who:

o   Have multiple sex partners

o   Have a sexually transmitted disease

o   Are men who have sex with other men

o   Inject drugs or share needles

o   Live with a person who has chronic hepatitis B

o   Are exposed to blood on the job

o   Are hemodialysis patients

o   Travel to countries with high rates of hepatitis B 

The initial symptoms of hepatitis B can occur anywhere between six weeks and six months after exposure.

There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. Most doctors recommend rest, proper nutrition and fluids. For people with chronic hepatitis B, medications are available, but not everyone ill with the disease requires medication.

The Health Department tracks acute cases of hepatitis B, with an average of 23 cases reported each year. In 2012, 26 cases were reported in Boone, Campbell, Grant and Kenton Counties. In Kentucky, there were 136 cases of hepatitis B in 2010, the most recent data available. When adjusted for population, Kentucky’s 2010 hepatitis B rate was one of the three highest in the nation, behind West Virginia and tied with Oklahoma.

Numbers of chronic hepatitis B cases are not tracked. 

For more information online, you can visit the Centers for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/B/ 

Or, for more information, please call the Health Department at 859.363.2070.