Overview

Hepatitis B is a leading cause of liver infection worldwide. The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) attacks the liver, causing lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure and death.¹

• An estimated 2 billion people worldwide have been infected with HBV at some time in their lives²
• 350 million people have chronic (lifelong) infection, which puts them at a high risk of death from liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver²
• Liver cancer and cirrhosis of the liver cause about 1 million deaths per year worldwide²
• An estimated 1.25 million Americans have chronic hepatitis¹
• An estimated 5000 Americans die from hepatitis B every year¹
• In the U.S., new infections per year has declined from an average of 260,000 in the 1980s to about 73,000 in 2003¹

 

 

Transmission through blood and body fluids

Hepatitis B is a highly infectious, often non-symptomatic disease. It is transmitted by contact with blood or body fluids of an infected person, including:²

• Sexual contact
• Sharing needles and/or syringes (primarily for drug injection)
• Transfusions of infected blood or blood clotting factors
• Mother-to-child or child-to-child contact

 

 

Early detection improves blood safety

The current overall risk of acquiring hepatitis B after a transfusion is about one in 50,000 per recipient. However, donors who are in the early incubation stage of their disease, capable of transmitting HBV, remain unidentified with current techniques.²

The PROCLEIX^® ULTRIO^® Assay* detects HIV-1, HCV and HBV in a single tube.

By detecting viral nucleic acids directly, the PROCLEIX^® ULTRIO^® Assay greatly shortens the "window period" of potential transfusion-transmitted infection found in other screening technologies that detect seriological markers.

Projection for HIV-1, HCV and HVB indicate a 42 percent to 70 percent reduction in the window period between infection and detection using nucleic acid testing.³

 

 

Few treatment options

There is no specific treatment for acute viral hepatitis B. Chronic hepatitis B may be treated with antiviral drugs.^{1 2} However, many of those infected in developing countries do not have access to these drugs.

 

 

Vaccine best prevention

Hepatitis B is preventable with safe, effective vaccines that have been available since 1982. Condom use and not sharing needles and syringes are other ways to prevent the spread of hepatitis B.¹

 

 

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website - Viral Hepatitis B page. Accessed Aug. 5, 2005.

2. World Health Organization - Hepatitis B page. Accessed Aug. 5, 2005.

3. Schreiber GB, Busch MP, Kleinman SH, Korelitz JJ. The Risk of Transfusion-Transmitted Viral Infections. N Engl J Med. June 27, 1996;445:1685-90.

CE Marked. Not available for commercial sale in the U.S. PROCLEIX and ULTRIO are trademarks of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics.

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