FatCamera / Getty Images
Is There a Cure for Hepatitis B?
The long and short answer is that there is not yet a cure for hepatitis B.
Understanding why requires insight into the virus itself and the challenges cure researchers face.
FatCamera / Getty Images
Hepatitis B is an infectious disease due to the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Many of these infections areasymptomatic, meaning without symptoms.
Chronic hepatitis Boccurs when the immune system does not erase the virus.
Around one of every 20 people acutely infected with HBV will progress to this persistent stage of infection.
Chronic hepatitis B is a slowly progressive disease in which ongoinginflammationcauses the gradual scarring of the liver.
However, the course of chronic HBV infection is not set.
Some people may progress faster than others, while others may never develop overt symptoms.
Even so, around 0.5% of those with non-progressing chronic hepatitis B spontaneously reset the virus every year.
Even those with advanced liver disease have longer survival and better quality of life thanks to newer drug therapies.
Acute Hepatitis B
There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B infection.
Epivir may also be considered in people with acute hepatitis B who experience severe symptoms.
There are no drugs able to clear an HBV infection after it occurs.
lt can take up to six months to accurately detect HBsAg after an infection occurs.
Most people with chronic hepatitis B require treatment for a lifetime to slow the progression of the disease.
This may involve:
Is Hepatitis B Preventable?
Chronic hepatitis B infection affects an estimated 290 million people worldwide, causing over 820,000 deaths annually.
Unlike hepatitis C, hepatitis B can be prevented with vaccines.
The dosage varies by the person’s age,immune status, and choice of vaccine.
Who Should Get the Hepatitis B Vaccine?
For hepatitis B, PEP may involve:
Hepatitis B vaccination is considered the mainstay of PEP.
How Do You Get Hepatitis B?
The hepatitis B virus is found mainly in the blood but also in semen and vaginal secretions.
Hepatitis B vaccinationis recommended for children and all people at risk of getting hepatitis B.
Hepatitis B vaccination is central to this, offering protection of between 98% and 100%.
If you are unsure whether you’ve ever been vaccinated against hepatitis B, speak with your healthcare provider.
The four approved hepatitis B vaccines are regarded as safe and effective.
Side effects tend to be mild and may include headache, fever, and injection site soreness or redness.
The course of chronic hepatitis B can vary from one person to the next.
In most cases it does.
Many will have no idea they were even affected.
It can be in some cases, but not always.
A small percentage of these people will go on to develop liver cancer.
World Health Organization.Hepatitis B: key facts.
Xia H, Guo H.Hepatitis B virus cccDNA: formation, regulation and therapeutic potential.Antiviral Res.
2020;64(11):e01323-20.
2017;66(5):1047-1081. doi:10.1016/j.jhep.2016.12.003
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Liver cancer basics.
Department of Health and Human Services.Hepatitis B basic information.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Hepatitis B vaccination safety.
