Hepatitis B overview
Hepatitis B is an inflammation of the liver and is caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), a member of the Hepadnavirus family[1] and one of hundreds of unrelated viral species which cause viral hepatitis. It was originally known as "serum hepatitis" and has caused current epidemics in parts of Asia and Africa.[2] Hepatitis B is recognized as endemic in China and various other parts of Asia.[3] The proportion of the world's population currently infected with the virus is 3 to 6%, but up to a third have been exposed. Symptoms of the acute illness caused by the virus include liver inflammation, vomiting, jaundice, and rarely, death. Chronic hepatitis B may cause liver cirrhosis which may then lead to liver cancer, a fatal disease with very poor response to current chemotherapy.
Hepatitis B usually gets better on its own after a few months.[4] It may, however, cause a more serious chronic infection.
References
- ↑ Zuckerman AJ (1996). Hepatitis Viruses. In: Baron's Medical Microbiology (Baron S et al, eds.) (4th ed. ed.). Univ of Texas Medical Branch. ISBN 0-9631172-1-1.
- ↑ Ryan KJ; Ray CG (editors) (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed. ed.). McGraw Hill. pp. pp. 544&ndash, 51. ISBN 0-8385-8529-9.
- ↑ Alberts B, Johnson A, Lewis J, Raff M, Roberts K, Walter P (2002). Molecular Biology of the Cell (4th ed.). Garland. (via NCBI Bookshelf) ISBN 0-8153-3218-1.
- ↑ Hepatitis B MedlinePlus article