2. Objectives
⢠To determine what is hepatitis B ?
⢠Transmission of hepatitis B virus
⢠To determine symptoms after infection of hepatitis B
⢠Preventive measures that can be taken to avoid
transmission
3. Content
⢠What is hepatitis B
⢠Epidemiology of hepatitis B
⢠Causes for hepatitis B
⢠Transmission of hepatitis B virus
⢠Common ways of hepatitis B transmission
⢠Symptoms
⢠Diagnosis
⢠Treatment
⢠Prevention
4. What is Hepatitis B
⢠Hepatitis B is a viral infection
⢠that attack liver and can cause both acute and chronic
diseases
⢠It is the most serious type of viral hepatitis
⢠Majority of patients with chronic HBV (CHB) infection will
have chronic liver disease
⢠Some with CHB infection develop a primary liver cancer,
hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) later in life
5. Hepatitis B in the World
⢠Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global public health
problem
⢠2 billion people have been infected
⢠It is estimated that there are 248 million HBV carriers in
the world (positive for hepatitis B surface antigen
[HBsAg])
⢠1 million people die each year from hepatitis B and its
complications
⢠Approximately 2 people die each minute from hepatitis B
6. In Sri Lanka
⢠prevalence of HBV infection in Sri Lanka is estimated to be
less than 2%
7. What causes hepatitis B ?
⢠It is caused by hepatitis B Virus
⢠It is a DNA virus
8. Transmission of hepatitis B (HBV)
⢠The virus is highly contagious
⢠Transmitted through contact with the blood or other body
fluids of an infected person
⢠Hepatitis B virus can survive outside of the body for at
least 7 days
⢠It is an important occupational hazard for health care
workers
9. Concentration of Hepatitis B Virus in Various Body Fluids
High Moderate Low/Not detectable
Blood Semen Urine
Serum Vaginal fluid Faeces
Wound exudate Saliva Sweat
Tears
Breastmilk
10. Most common ways of hepatitis B
transmission include :
⢠Sexual contact
⢠Sharing of injecting equipment (used for injecting drugs)
⢠Needlestick injuries in a health care setting
⢠Reuse of unsterilized or inadequately sterilized needles
⢠Sharing personal items such as razors, toothbrushes, or hair
and nail clippers
⢠Perinatal Transmission
Congenital or Vertical transmission is quite common from
carrier mothers
The risk to babies is high if the mother is HBeAg positive (60-
90%) and low if Negative (5-15%)
13. ⢠Hepatitis B does NOT spread by contaminated food or water, and cannot spread
through casual or social contact such as kissing, sneezing or coughing, hugging, or
eating food prepared by a person with hepatitis B
High Risk Groups
⢠Injecting drug users
⢠Sex workers
⢠Men who have sex with men
⢠Medical and paramedical personnel
⢠People from endemic regions
⢠Hemophiliacs and other patients requiring blood and blood product
treatment
14. What are the symptoms
⢠Feeling very tired
⢠Mild fever
⢠Headache
⢠Loss of appetite
⢠Nausea
⢠Abdominal pain
⢠Tan-colored bowel movements (stools)
⢠Dark urine
⢠Yellowish eyes and skin (jaundice). Jaundice usually appears only
after other symptoms have started to go away
15. ⢠Hepatitis B can also cause a chronic infection
⢠This can later develop to cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma
16. Diagnosis
⢠Laboratory confirmation is essential
⢠Number of blood tests are available to diagnose and
monitor infected people
⢠These tests can distinguish between chronic and acute
infection
⢠Laboratory detection mainly focuses on detection of
Hepatitis B surface antigen
⢠All donated blood is screened for Hepatitis B
17. Treatment
⢠No specific treatment for acute Hepatitis B
⢠Maintaining comfort and adequate nutrition balance is
essential
⢠Chronic infection is treated with oral antiviral agents
⢠These medicines can slow the progression of cirrhosis,
reduce liver cancers and improve the life span
18. Prevention
To avoid transmission of hepatitis B:
⢠consider being vaccinated
⢠practice safer sex (use a condom)
⢠wash hands after touching blood or body fluids
⢠wear disposable gloves if giving someone first aid, or
cleaning up blood or body fluids
⢠avoid sharing toothbrushes, razors, needles, syringes,
personal hygiene items and grooming aids or any object
that may come into contact with blood or body fluids
19. ⢠Use new and sterile injecting equipment for each
injection
⢠Cover all cuts and open sores with a band aid or bandage
⢠Wipe up any blood spills and then clean the area with
household bleach
⢠Throw away personal items such as tissues, menstrual
pads, tampons and bandages in a sealed plastic bag.