Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by a virus. It is spread via infected blood and body fluids, although there is also an extremely small risk of contracting it through blood transfusions. Sexually active teenagers may be at particular risk for the disease, as are users of non-sterilized needles and syringes.
Signs and Symptoms
Hepatitis B is caused by a virus. Some people who are infected with the hepatitis B virus never feel sick. Others have symptoms that might last for several weeks. Those symptoms can include:
- loss of appetite and tiredness
- pains in muscles, joints or stomach
- diarrhea or vomiting
- yellow skin or eyes (jaundice)
This is called "acute" hepatitis B.
It can also cause long-term (chronic) illness that leads to:
- liver damage (cirrhosis)
- liver cancer
- death
What You Can Do
You can protect children from hepatitis B by getting them vaccinated with three doses of hepatitis B vaccine.