Are you safe from Hepatitis B ???

What is hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is an infection that attacks the liver which brings inflammation in liver. It is

When most healthy adults and older children are

caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). This HBV was first identified by British physician Dr. F.O. MacCallum in 1940s. Hepatitis is named as "Hepa", in latin it means liver and "itis" which means inflammation. infected with HBV, their immune systems are able to fight off the infection. They experience a brief or "acute" hepatitis B infection. Many of those infected feel no symptoms and don’t even know they were infected. But about 5% of adults and 90% of babies exposed to HBV can’t get rid of the infection. Their immune systems either aren’t strong enough to repel the infection, or, in the case of young children, they fail to recognize HBV as an enemy virus. That is why about 90% of babies born to infected mothers get hepatitis B. When people are infected for six months or longer with HBV, they have a long-term or "chronic" infection.

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Hepatitis B is transmitted by blood and other infected bodily fluids too. It is not casually transmitted i.e. it cannot be transmitted through sneezing, coughing, hugging etc.

The main ways of getting infected with HBV are:

• perinatal (from mother to baby at the birth)
• child-to-child transmission
• unsafe injections and transfusions
• sexual contact.

Worldwide, most infections occur from mother-to-child, from child-to-child (especially in household settings), and from reuse of unsterilized needles and syringes. In many developing countries, almost all children become infected with the virus.

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You can protect yourself against hepatitis B by being vaccinated. The hepatitis B

vaccine has an outstanding record of safety and effectiveness, and since 1982, over one billion doses have been used worldwide. The vaccine is 95% effective in preventing chronic infections from developing. Protection lasts for 20 years at least, no booster is recommended by WHO as of today.For detailed information please visit : http://www.who.int/csr/disease/hepatitis/whocdscsrlyo20022/en/index5.html