Hepatitis B is a viral infection that targets the liver which causes acute and chronic disease. Hepatitis B is spread by coming into contact with the blood of someone who is infected; it is not spread via casual conduct like kissing, hugging, shaking or holding hands.
Approximately 2 billion people in the world have been infected by Hepatitis B and nearly 350 million live with chronic infection. It has been estimated that about 600,000 people die each year due to acute or chronic complications from Hepatitis B. The Hepatitis B virus is 50 to 100 times more infectious than the HIV.
Hepatitis B is preventable. A Hepatitis B vaccine was created in 1982 which is 95% effective and is the first known vaccine against a major human cancer. Most school-aged children in the United States undergo a three shot series of vaccination. Healthcare workers are also more susceptible to contracting Hepatitis B due to their high level of exposure to blood and blood-borne pathogens. Adults can also get vaccinated against Hepatitis B and a simple blood test will determine if someone has had the vaccination before in their lifetime. The likelihood of the disease becoming chronic depends upon the age of the individual when they were infected. For example, 90% of infants infected during the first year of life will have Hepatitis B that becomes chronic. The older the individual is, the less likely. The good news is that about 90% of healthy adults will recover and get rid of the virus in about 6 months.
If you don’t know if you’ve been vaccinated, call your local Any Lab Test Now location and ask for a Hepatitis B titer test.
Source : http://www.labbocaraton.com/std-testing/hepatitis.html
No comments:
Post a Comment