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Hepatitis B

Symptoms

The incubation period for hepatitis B is 6 to 24 weeks, with an average of 8 to 12 weeks.

The majority of persons infected with acute hepatitis B are asymptomatic. Fewer than 10% of those infected as children and 30% of those infected as adults will experience common hepatitis symptoms:

• Jaundice
• dark urine
• light stool
• fever
• nausea
• vomiting
• fatigue
• abdominal pain and
• anorexia

Chronic hepatitis B refers to an infection where the body is not able to eliminate the virus. About 90% of those infected by hepatitis B as children and 10% of those infected as adults will develop chronic hepatitis B, which may lead to cirrhosis and cancer of the liver. Patients that develop severe liver damage may need to undergo liver transplant surgery to replace the damaged liver with a healthy one. People with chronic hepatitis B remain infectious throughout their lifetime, unless successfully treated.