Disease overview

Viral

Hepatitis B

乙型肝炎

Evidence-backed informationEN 7/7 applicable sections · ZH 7/7 applicable sectionsUpdated Sep 3, 2026

Hepatitis B represents a substantial global infectious disease burden characterized by a hepatic infection that may progress from acute onset to long-term chronic carriage ^[1]^[2]. The pathogen drives considerable morbidity and mortality through progressive hepatic fibrosis and malignant transformation, necessitating sustained public health intervention ^[3]^[4]. Widespread adoption of routine childhood immunization has demonstrated marked reductions in regional prevalence, reinforcing vaccination as a cornerstone of elimination strategies ^[1]^[2].

Read the full clinical and epidemiological profile8

Definition

Hepatitis B denotes a hepatic infection induced by a partly double-stranded DNA virus that triggers inflammatory responses within the liver parenchyma ^[1]^[2]. While broader hepatitis encompasses liver inflammation arising from diverse infectious, toxic, or autoimmune etiologies, hepatitis B and C are distinguished by their frequent transition to persistent chronic states ^[5]^[6]. The disease trajectory spans self-resolving acute phases to prolonged chronic conditions that fundamentally alter hepatic architecture and function ^[3]^[7].

Clinical features

Hepatitis B reactivation (HBVr) can occur due to a variety of immune-modulating exposures, including multiple drug classes and disease states ^[8]. Clinical monitoring for HBVr should be performed at 1- to 3-month intervals, and must include assessment of hepatitis B viral load in addition to assessment of alanine aminotransferase ^[8].

Epidemiology

Serological surveys indicate that approximately thirty percent of the worldwide population bears markers of prior or active infection, reflecting extensive historical dissemination ^[2]. The pathogen maintains a substantial reservoir globally, necessitating continuous monitoring to track regional incidence patterns and guide resource allocation ^[2].

Transmission

The virus disseminates principally through parenteral and mucosal exposure to infected bodily fluids, encompassing blood, semen, and vaginal secretions ^[1]^[2]. Vertical delivery during parturition and horizontal household spread, alongside exposure to inadequately sterilized medical instruments or transfused products, constitute additional primary routes ^[5]^[6]. Unlike enterically transmitted hepatitis variants, this agent does not propagate through contaminated food or water supplies ^[5].

Risk groups

Individuals acquiring the infection during perinatal exposure face markedly elevated lifetime probabilities of fatal hepatic complications, with mortality projections reaching forty percent in males and fifteen percent in females ^[2]. Populations managing concurrent viral co-infections involving hepatitis C, hepatitis D, or human immunodeficiency virus experience compounded pathological trajectories requiring intensified oversight ^[4]. Unvaccinated neonates residing in highly endemic territories without immediate postnatal immunization constitute a particularly vulnerable cohort for chronic acquisition ^[1].

Prevention

Immunization with a highly efficacious vaccine administered promptly after birth, followed by scheduled booster administrations, delivers near-complete protective immunity ^[1]. Routine pediatric vaccination campaigns have consistently correlated with steep declines in community-level infection rates across diverse jurisdictions ^[2]. Broader preventive architectures further incorporate systematic diagnostic screening, targeted educational outreach, and coordinated care pathways to advance international elimination mandates ^[3]^[6].

Surveillance note

Monitoring frameworks mandate routine hepatocellular carcinoma screening for individuals maintaining positive hepatitis B surface antigen status, particularly those harboring concurrent hepatitis C, hepatitis D, or human immunodeficiency virus infections ^[4]. Continuous risk stratification utilizing virological indicators and host characteristics enables clinicians to optimize therapeutic timing and resource allocation ^[3]. These structured observational protocols are essential for mitigating disease-specific mortality and sustaining accurate population-level tracking ^[4].

References

1World Health Organization. Hepatitis B [Internet]. cited 1 Sept 2026.Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-b
2Trépo 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/
3European 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/
4Ghany MG et al. AASLD ISDA Practice Guideline on treatment of chronic hepatitis B. Hepatology. 2026 Apr 1. PMID: 41186418. doi: 10.1097/HEP.0000000000001549.PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41186418/
5World Health Organization. Hepatitis [Internet]. cited 1 Sept 2026.Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/hepatitis
6World Health Organization. Hepatitis [Internet]. cited 1 Sept 2026.Available from: https://www.who.int/health-topics/hepatitis
7Odenwald MA et al. Viral hepatitis: Past, present, and future. World J Gastroenterol. 2022 Apr 14. PMID: 35582678. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i14.1405.PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35582678/
8Ali FS et al. AGA Clinical Practice Guideline on the Prevention and Treatment of Hepatitis B Virus Reactivation in At-Risk Individuals. Gastroenterology. 2025 Feb. PMID: 39863345. doi: 10.1053/j.gastro.2024.11.008.PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39863345/

Coding Register

ICD-10: B16-B18
ICD-11: 1E50.1-1E51.0

Key Statistics

Total cases: 20.9M
Total deaths: 8K
Peak month: 2024-03
Coverage: 9 reporting countries · 1969-01-01 → 2026-09-01

Coverage

Reporting countries and regions

9 locations

Trends by reporting country

Monthly patterns over time

Research Radar

Recent related research

View all research →

Peer reviewedHepatitis BDiagnostics

DOI 10.1097/qai.0000000000003896 ↗

Hepatitis B and C Prevention, Screening, and Diagnostic Services at HIV Treatment Sites: International Epidemiology Databases to Evaluate AIDS.

Kuniholm MH, Murenzi G, Samala N +28 more

Journal of acquired immune deficiency syndromes (1999)Sep 1, 2026

Hepatitis B surveillance →

Peer reviewedOpen accessHepatitis DTransmission dynamics

DOI 10.1002/mlf2.70102 ↗

Functionally cured chronic hepatitis B: A cure‐related occult HBV infection state

Fengmin Lu, Xin Zheng, Xinyu Du +4 more

mLifeAug 27, 2026

Open article ↗Hepatitis D surveillance →

Peer reviewedOpen accessHepatitis DSurveillance

DOI 10.31989/dsn.v5i8.2066 ↗

Seroprevalence, associated factors, and molecular detection of hepatitis B virus co-infection among HIV-positive adults in Okene, Nigeria

Abdulsamad Muhammed Adeiza, Okolo Martin-Luther Oseni, Abraham Oyiguh Joseph +3 more

Dietary Supplements and NutraceuticalsAug 27, 2026

Open article ↗Hepatitis D surveillance →

Peer reviewedAcute hepatitis BVaccination

DOI 10.4254/wjh.124108 ↗

Acute hepatitis B in the vaccination era: Predictors of functional cure and chronicity

David Yardeni, Julianna Gershbaum Tobin, Bryan Itkowitz +8 more

World Journal of HepatologyAug 27, 2026

Acute hepatitis B surveillance →

Peer reviewedHepatitis BVaccination

DOI 10.1111/tid.70299 ↗

Hepatitis B in Organ Transplantation-Current Evidence and Clinical Gaps.

Fernandez-Garcia OA, Hirsch BL, Abela IA +1 more

Transplant infectious disease : an official journal of the Transplantation SocietyAug 26, 2026

Hepatitis B surveillance →

Showing 5 of 47 related publications.

Literature links are provided for discovery and do not alter or validate the surveillance series above.

Rows16,884

Updated2026-09-01

Coverage—

Partitions13

Source10 series · 8,280 observations

Official sourcesAuthority, cadence, notes85

monthlymicrosoft_bi

Australian national notifiable diseases surveillance dashboard.

monthlymicrosoft_bi

Australian NINDSS monthly state/territory notifications for Australian Capital Territory, kept separate from the Australia national aggregate.

monthlymicrosoft_bi

Australian NINDSS monthly state/territory notifications for New South Wales, kept separate from the Australia national aggregate.

monthlymicrosoft_bi

Australian NINDSS monthly state/territory notifications for Northern Territory, kept separate from the Australia national aggregate.

monthlymicrosoft_bi

Australian NINDSS monthly state/territory notifications for Queensland, kept separate from the Australia national aggregate.

monthlymicrosoft_bi

Australian NINDSS monthly state/territory notifications for South Australia, kept separate from the Australia national aggregate.

monthlymicrosoft_bi

Australian NINDSS monthly state/territory notifications for Tasmania, kept separate from the Australia national aggregate.

monthlymicrosoft_bi

Australian NINDSS monthly state/territory notifications for Victoria, kept separate from the Australia national aggregate.

monthlymicrosoft_bi

Australian NINDSS monthly state/territory notifications for Western Australia, kept separate from the Australia national aggregate.

ANNUALweb

Canada is the national jurisdiction; subdivision feeds are registered separately.

weeklyrest_api

Switzerland FOPH/BAG IDD mandatory reporting API normalized to national case rows. Monthly series may use the dashboard CHFL aggregate where CH-only monthly series are not exposed.

MONTHLYweb

Monthly notifiable infectious disease reports published by China CDC.

MONTHLYweb

Official China public health bulletin and query portal.

MONTHLYweb

Biomedical literature discovery feed used as supplementary context.

annualofficial_datacenter_spreadsheet

Chinese province-level historical monthly observations; this higher-priority source overlays overlapping official monthly reports.

monthlyofficial_provincial_report