HBV can cause infection and inflammation of the liver. A person can be infected and pass on the virus without knowing it.
Some individuals have no symptoms, some experience only the initial infection, but others remain chronically infected, as the virus continues to attack the liver over time without being detected. Irreversible liver damage can result.
Hepatitis B is caused by infection of the body with the hepatitis B virus.
The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is found in blood and bodily fluids. It can be transmitted through semen, vaginal fluids, and blood, and it can pass from a mother to a newborn during delivery. Sharing needles and having unprotected sex increase the risk.
People tend to catch HBV when they visit a part of the world in which infection is more common.
A person can spread the condition without being aware, as it may be symptomless.