Hepatitis B is a viral infection caused by the named virus which affects the liver. The virus can cause both acute and chronic infection. Most people are asymptomatic at initial stage.

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Many patients with acute infection usually present with symptoms like abdominal pain, tiredness, yellowish skin, vomiting and dark urine which sometimes lasts a few weeks. This rarely results to death. Symptoms usually sets in between thirty days to one hundred and eight days.

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However, ninety percent of chronic infection are often gotten at the time of birth, while the remaining ten percent are usually after the age of five. Most people with the chronic infection are asymptomatic but might end up with cancer of the liver or cirrhosis.

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The numerous ways of transmission are by exposure to infectious blood or body fluids, infection at or around the time of birth, intravenous drug use and sexual intercourse. There are other risk factors like working in health care, blood transfusion, dialysis, living with infected person.

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Nonetheless, it cannot be gotten from holding hands, sharing eating utensils, kissing, hugging, coughing, sneezing, or breastfeeding.

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Diagnosis is usually confirmed by testing the blood for the presence of antibodies and infection can be prevented by vaccination.