Epidemiological Aspects of Hepatitis B in Community-Based Health
Educating About Hepatitis B
Overview of Hepatitis B Epidemiology
Hepatitis B is caused by infection with the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) ("CDC," 2012). The highest concentrations of HBV are found in blood, while other body fluid, such as semen, vaginal secretions, and wound exudates, show lower concentrations ("CDC," 2012). HBV infection can be either chronic or self-limited ("CDC," 2012). The incubation period can range from 6 weeks to 6 months from the time of initial exposure to the onset of symptoms ("CDC," 2012).
Roughly half of newly acquired HBV infections in adults are symptomatic. Acute liver failure and eventual death occurs in 1% of all reported cases ("CDC," 2012). The age of infection shows an inverse relationship to chronic infection. Accordingly, 2 to 6% of adults suffer from chronic infection, while 30% of children five years and under and 90% of infants become chronically infected ("CDC," 2012). Chronic HBV infection increases the risk for premature death from cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma at a rate of 15 to 25% ("CDC," 2012).
Transmission of HBV is efficient through percutaneous or mucous membrane exposure to blood itself or to body fluids that contain blood ("CDC," 2012). Infection of HBV is primarily associated with these risk factors: Illegal drug use that involves injection; unprotected sex with an infected partner; unprotected sex with more than one partner; borne by an infected mother; men having sex with other men (MSM); and a history of previous or other STD ("CDC," 2012).
Public Health National Strategy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) heads the national strategy to eliminate the transmission of HBV infection. A multi-pronged approach focuses on prenatal screening and a widespread vaccination program. Specifically, the CDC strategy includes the following:
Routine screening for HBsAg of all pregnant women;
Routine screening for immuniprophylaxis of all infants born to mothers...
The doctor said that I'm pretty healthy now, although I was bedridden for about two weeks during which time I changed my diet substantially to eat more fruits and vegetables and less red meat per the advice of the physician. I have also substantially increased my fluids intake -- I now drink eight glasses of water a day. The physician told me that for someone with my degree of
(Kanwal et al.) However, it has been found that in many cases alternative strategies to medication are often more effective. The following are a list of commonly prescribed drugs as approved by the FDA and their wholesale prices as of 2005. Lamivudine (100 mg) - monthly cost $204- annual cost $2,482 Adefovir (10 mg) - monthly cost $546 - annual cost $6,647 Entecavir (0.5 mg) - monthly cost $715 - annual cost
Hep B The Causative Agent Hepatitis is a viral infection of the liver. The primary microbe responsible for the manifestation of the disease is the Hepatitis B virus (HBV), which is a member of the hepadnavirus family. Other members of the hepadnavirus family affect both birds and small mammals including squirrels and woodchucks, but humans are the only known mammals to be susceptible to Hepatitis B in particular (Hepatitis B; McLachlan, 1991).
7. The limitations of the study are minimal, including only the fact that the study demonstrates only minimal literature review and would be strengthened by such review, specific to Uganda and not only inclusive of the whole of the region or the whole of Africa. This may be in part due the severely limited set of research information from which to pull from, but if so this is not explained
Hepatitis B Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a major public health problem across the globe as it contributes to nearly 1 million deaths annually. It is an infection that basically attacks the liver and has the potential to generate acute and chronic diseases. This communicable disease is mostly transmitted from mother to child during birth. Additionally, HBV is transmitted through contact with body fluids like blood. Since it is a life-threatening
Hepatitis B There are a couple of different concerns for public health pertaining to Hepatitis B. Probably the most salient of these relates to the fact that this condition can be transferred amongst people via unprotected sexual activity. In this respect, this condition is just one of the many that people can incur through unsafe sex. Additionally, public health concerns related to Hepatitis B revolve around the fact that contact
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