hepatitis B virus hepatitis
Last edited 06/2018 and last reviewed 03/2022
Hepatitis B infection is a serious and common infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) (1)
- HBV is an enveloped DNA virus. The complete virus particle is known as the Dane particle and has characteristic serological markers
- it transmitted parenterally, or by intimate, usually sexual contact (1).
Hepatitis infection can be either:
- acute
- occurs in 1-4% of hospitalised patients with HBV, a figure which is increased by concomitant infection with hepatitis D virus
- usually a self-limiting disease marked by acute inflammation and hepatocellular necrosis
- case fatality rate is around 0.5–1%
- chronic
- defined as persistence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) for six months or more
- chronic sequelae are attributed to deficiency in the host immune response rather than to the cytotoxicity of HBV
- encompasses a spectrum of disease (1)
Reference:
treatment of chronic hepatitis B hepatitis
chronic hepatitis B virus hepatitis
screening for hepatitis B in pregnancy
assessment of hepatitis B and referral criteria from primary care
phases of hepatitis B infection - relating HBe antigen, HBV DNA levels and antibody to HBe antigen
host and viral risk factors associated with progression of chronic hepatitis B
NICE guidance on management of chronic hepatitis B infection