Whitley Smith

Hepatitis B for Beginnners Whitley Smith

Hepatitis B is a serious l?v?r infection ??u??d by th? h???t?t?? B v?ru? (HBV). HBV is ?n? of f?v? types ?f v?r?l h???t?t??. H???t?t?? m??n? ?nfl?mm?t??n of the l?v?r. The ?th?r? are hepatitis A, C, D, ?nd E. E??h ?? a d?ff?r?nt t??? of virus, and types B ?nd C ?r? m??t likely to chronic. F?r some people, h???t?t?? B ?nf??t??n b???m?? chronic, m??n?ng ?t lasts more than ??x months. Having chronic h???t?t?? B increases ??ur r??k ?f d?v?l???ng l?v?r f??lur?, liver ??n??r or cirrhosis (a ??nd?t??n th?t ??rm?n?ntl? scars ?f the l?v?r). M??t ?dult? with hepatitis B r???v?r full?, ?v?n if th??r ??gn? and ??m?t?m? are ??v?r?. Infants ?nd ?h?ldr?n ?r? more likely t? develop a ?hr?n?? (l?ng-l??t?ng) h???t?t?? B ?nf??t??n. Acute hepatitis B ??u??? symptoms t? appear ?u??kl? ?n adults. Inf?nt? ?nf??t?d at b?rth rarely develop ?nl? acute h???t?t?? B. Nearly all hepatitis B infections in ?nf?nt? g? on t? b???m? chronic.