Hepatitis B (Serum Hep.): signs and symptoms, mode of transmission, management and prevention

Introduction

It is a sexually transmitted, as well as blood-borne disease caused by a DNA virus. The virus is known as hepadnavirus and can cause both acute and chronic forms of hepatitis.

Causative organism: Hepatitis B virus.

Incubation period: between 45 and 180 days.

Mode of transmission

• Injection given with needles contaminated by body fluids of infected persons or carriers.
• Sexual intercourse with infected person.
• Kissing with infected persons may spread it since the virus is present in saliva.
• Transfusion with infected blood.
• Carrier mothers can transmit to their new born during the birth process.
• Indirectly from exudates from the skin ulcers of infected persons.
• Sweat and tears of infected persons have also been found to contain the virus.

Signs and Symptoms

• Prodromal period of headache, malaise, nausea, anorexia and fever for 2-14 days.
• Followed by vomiting and pain in the right hypochondria.
• Jaundice appears with variable severity after prodromal symptoms subside.
• Dark urine and pale stools.
• In most cases patient may recover completely, but there may be relapse.
• Clinically it may be difficult to distinguish between the signs and symptoms of hepatitis A and B.

Management

• There is no known treatment. Treatment is symptomatic since it is caused by a virus.
• Care providers should understand the clients, avoid being judgmental (most people attribute it to promiscuity) and give assurance of good care to them.
• Ensure enough rest.
• Give plenty of fluid especially glucose drinks, fruit drinks, water, rice water.
• Give a lot of vitamin rich foods.

Prevention and control

• Encourage abstinence until marriage and partners should be faithfully to each other to reduce the risk of being infected.
• Avoid unnecessary' casual sex exposure.
• Use condom for casual sexual intercourse if it cannot be avoided.
• Visit qualified institutions for health care to prevent contaminated articles being used for your treatment.
• Sharp and piercing instruments should be sterilized after use.
• Blood should be well screened before transfusion.
• All children should be given active immunization against the disease with DPT/HibHepB vaccine.
• Care providers and health care workers at risk should be give Hepatitis B vaccine.
• People who get exposed to the virus should be given passive immunity with hepatitis B immune vaccine.
• Some persons become life-long carriers and so must be educated to prevent infecting others.

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