Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B refers to infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), an infectious agent that affects the liver and is classified as viral hepatitis ^[3]. The virus is described as a partly double-stranded DNA virus and as a species of the genus Orthohepadnavirus ^[1][2]. Serologic markers mentioned in the source include HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, and anti-HBc IgM and IgG ^[1].

HBV infection can be acute or chronic, and many infected people have no symptoms, particularly after exposure or during chronic disease ^[3]. When symptomatic, acute illness may include rapid onset of malaise with nausea, vomiting, jaundice or yellowish skin, fatigue, dark urine, and abdominal pain; one source states symptoms may appear 30 to 180 days after exposure and usually last for a few weeks, although illness can persist for up to six months ^[3]. Acute infection is usually self-limited, but fulminant hepatic failure is described as a severe complication, and deaths from acute-stage infection are reported as rare ^[3]. Chronic infection is often asymptomatic, yet it may progress to cirrhosis and liver cancer, and one source notes that clinically important outcomes depend on the balance between viral replication and host immune response ^[3][1].

HBV infection is described as a major global public-health problem, with roughly 30% of the world’s population showing serological evidence of current or past infection ^[1]. Chronic HBV is reported to affect over 250 million individuals worldwide and is associated with substantial mortality from cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma ^[4]. Universal infant vaccination has been associated with a sharp decline in prevalence, although the implementation is described as variable across settings ^[1]. The provided sources do not give region-specific incidence, seasonality, or outbreak data, and more detailed surveillance burden is not yet available from the snippets ^[1][4].

HBV is transmitted through contact with infected blood and semen, and broader descriptions also refer to exposure to infectious blood or body fluids containing blood ^[1][3]. One source identifies mother-to-child transmission during childbirth as an important route and notes that early-life horizontal transmission can occur through contact involving blood exposure ^[3]. The provided material does not supply a more detailed hierarchy of exposure settings or persistence outside the host ^[1][3].

Source-backed risk stratification is limited in the provided material, but the snippets indicate particularly high chronicity risk when infection occurs at a younger age, especially during or shortly after birth ^[3]. The guidance also refers to management of special populations and HBV reactivation prophylaxis, but it does not enumerate those groups in the excerpt provided ^[4]. Detailed source-backed information on occupational, behavioral, or comorbidity-linked risk groups is not yet available from the snippets ^[1][4].

A safe and effective vaccine has been available since 1981, and universal vaccination in infants has been associated with a sharp decline in prevalence ^[1]. The updated clinical guidance also emphasizes vaccination, screening, early diagnosis, and prevention strategies as part of broader HBV elimination efforts ^[4]. Source-backed detail on exact schedules, post-exposure measures, or setting-specific control programs is not yet available from the provided snippets ^[1][4].

In surveillance settings, hepatitis B is best interpreted as a high-burden viral infection with both acute and chronic forms, where chronic carriage contributes importantly to long-term liver outcomes ^[1][4]. Serologic markers such as HBsAg, anti-HBs, HBeAg, anti-HBe, and anti-HBc IgM/IgG are highlighted as relevant laboratory features, and HBsAg is noted as the most frequently used screening antigen ^[1][3]. The available sources support monitoring for chronic disease, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma as major downstream outcomes, but do not provide a complete case definition or reporting algorithm ^[4][3].

1. 1 Trépo C et al. Hepatitis B virus infection. Lancet. 2014 Dec 6. PMID: 24954675. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60220-8. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24954675/
2. 2 Wikidata contributors. Hepatitis B virus [Internet]. Wikidata. cited 20 May 2026. Available from: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6844
3. 3 Wikipedia contributors. Hepatitis B - Wikipedia [Internet]. Wikipedia. cited 20 May 2026. Available from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis_B
4. 4 European Association for the Study of the Liver et al. EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the management of hepatitis B virus infection. J Hepatol. 2025 Aug. PMID: 40348683. doi: 10.1016/j.jhep.2025.03.018. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40348683/
5. 5 Terrault NA et al. Update on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of chronic hepatitis B: AASLD 2018 hepatitis B guidance. Hepatology. 2018 Apr. PMID: 29405329. doi: 10.1002/hep.29800. PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29405329/
6. 6 Hepatitis Viruses: Hepatitis B and Hepatitis D. Viral Infections of Humans. 2022. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4939-9544-8_32-1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9544-8_32-1

ICD-10

B16

ICD-11

1E50.1

Total cases

20.5M

Total deaths

8K

Peak month

2024-03

Coverage

7 reporting countries · 2000-01-01 → 2023-12-09