Hepatitis B Summary Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It helps your body digest food, store energy, and remove poisons. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. One type, hepatitis B, is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis B spreads by contact with an infected person’s blood, semen, or other body fluid. An infected woman can give hepatitis B to her baby at birth. If you get HBV, you may feel as if you have the flu. You may also have jaundice, a yellowing of skin and eyes, dark-colored urine, and pale bowel movements. Some people have no symptoms at all. A blood test can tell if you have it. HBV usually gets better on its own after a few months. If it does not get better, it is called chronic HBV, which lasts a lifetime. Chronic HBV can lead to scarring of the liver, liver failure, or liver cancer. There is a vaccine for HBV. It requires three shots. All babies should get the vaccine, but older children and adults can get it too. If you travel to countries where Hepatitis B is common, you should get the vaccine. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Encyclopedia Acrodermatitis Delta agent (Hepatitis D) Find an Expert Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Hepatitis Foundation International Hepatitis Foundation International National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Hepatitis B National Institutes of Health Related Issues Diabetes and Hepatitis B Vaccination Centers for Disease Control and Prevention FAQs about Hepatitis B Vaccine (Hep B) and Multiple Sclerosis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Hepatitis B and HIV AIDS.gov Hepatitis B: What Asian and Pacific Islander Americans Need to Know National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Hepatitis D National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Know HBV: What Every Asian and Pacific Islander Should Know About Hepatitis B and Liver Cancer Stanford University, Asian Liver Center Know Hepatitis B Questions and Answers for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Travelers’ Health: Hepatitis B Centers for Disease Control and Prevention When Someone Close to You Has Chronic Hepatitis B Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Statistics and Research FastStats: Viral Hepatitis National Center for Health Statistics NIH Scientists Shed Light on Mystery Surrounding Hepatitis B Virus National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Surveillance for Viral Hepatitis – United States, 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Children Hepatitis Nemours Foundation Hepatitis B and A Vaccines Are Imperative for Families Adopting from Abroad Immunization Action Coalition Hepatitis B Shots Are Recommended for All New Babies Immunization Action Coalition Array Hepatitis B Hepatitis B — children Hepatitis B Vaccine: What You Need to Know Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Hepatitis virus panel Preventing hepatitis B or C What I Need to Know about Hepatitis B National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Prevention and Risk Factors Hepatitis B National Foundation for Infectious Diseases Start Here Hepatitis B American Academy of Family Physicians Hepatitis B National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Hepatitis B Department of Veterans Affairs Hepatitis B FAQs Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Teenagers Hepatitis B (HBV) Nemours Foundation Diagnosis and Tests Hepatitis B Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Liver Biopsy National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Liver Panel American Association for Clinical Chemistry Screening for Hepatitis B Virus Infection in Nonpregnant Adolescents and Adults U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Patient Handouts Hepatitis B: Information for Parents Array Health Check Tools Hepatitis Risk Assessment Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Living With If You Have Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) Infection Immunization Action Coalition Videos and Tutorials One Family’s Struggles with Hepatitis B Parents of Kids with Infectious Diseases Women Protect Your Baby for Life: When a Pregnant Woman Has Hepatitis B Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Men Protect Yourself against Hepatitis A and B: A Guide for Gay and Bisexual Men Immunization Action Coalition Journal Articles Hepatitis B Latest News Ridding U.S. of Hepatitis B, C as ‘Public Health Problem’ Possible HealthDay More People Surviving Sudden Liver Failure HealthDay
