Hepatitis B is one of the most easily spread (contagious) forms of viral hepatitis, which include hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E.
- About 60,000 new hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections occurred in the United States in 2004.1
- An estimated 1.25 million Americans have long-term (chronic) hepatitis B, and 20% to 30% acquired their infection in childhood.1
- In the United States, hepatitis B is most common in people ages 20 to 49.1 People at greatest risk for HBV infection are those who use illegal drugs, those who have more than one sex partner, and men who have sex with men.2
- Each year, an estimated 5,000 people die in the United States from illnesses related to HBV infection.3
- Black teenagers and young adults become infected with HBV 3 to 4 times more often than those who are white.2
- Worldwide, chronic HBV infection is a major cause of chronic liver disease and liver cancer.
References
Citations
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006). Viral Hepatitis B Fact Sheet. Available online: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/fact.htm.
American Academy of Pediatrics (2006). Hepatitis B. In LK Pickering, ed., Red Book: 2006 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases, 27th ed., pp. 335–355. Elk Grove, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2006). Hepatitis B: Frequently asked questions. Available online: http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/diseases/hepatitis/b/faqb.htm.
Credits
| Author | Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Pat Truman |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | Kathleen Romito, MD - Family Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | W. Thomas London, MD - Hepatology |
| Last Updated | October 15, 2007 |
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