Contending With Hepatitis B Infection

The hepatitis B virus is a highly contagious disease under the family of DNA viruses called Hepadnaviridae. Although their natural host is the human body, it can subsist for a long time even outside its host. Thus it finds its way to things such as contaminated medical equipment, even months after the contamination. This could be one of the many ways the disease can be spread.

Hepatitis B virus is at least one hundred times less infectious than HIV and it presents itself with more viral particles in the infected blood. As opposed to the HIV, this virus can be transmitted through saliva also. This is a verified aspect of the matter; it has already been proven.

Infection from Hepatitis B results from unprotected sexual contact and contact with infected biological fluids such as blood, seminal liquid, vaginal secretions and saliva. Crowded living conditions can also be a contributing factor in transmitting the disease within the family circle. Because of this, it can be transmitted much faster than the HIV.

There are four ways whereby this disease can be transmitted. First is through vertical transmission, meaning the mother passing the virus to the newborn baby during birth. Then there is the horizontal transmission which is prevalent between children, teenagers, young people and adults as well, the medium of transmission being the saliva or contaminated blood from wounds or even superficial scratches. Infected family members such as the parents, grandparents, and siblings could all be potential horizontal source of infection.

Sexual transmission is made by normal or homosexual activity between a healthy and an infected individual. Parental transmission of the virus of the Hepatitis B is performed through blood as well as through contaminated blood products, which enter the organism of a healthy host through syringe needles, blood transfusions, hem dialysis, or even intravenous administered drugs.

Globally, doctors and medical staff working in hospitals that are directly in contact with infected patients also run the risk of being infected. A lot of other workers are exposed to infections due to the nature of their jobs are the police, the paramedics, firemen and military workers.

More than 3 million people all over the world are infected with the disease and are therefore carriers of the Hepatitis B virus. We should always be careful of all the things we use and people we meet, despite being in low-risk professions unlike those mentioned above. Objects that have been contaminated, such as needles, utensils that have been used by infected persons can be very hazardous and is another way of spreading the disease to healthy individuals. Educating the youth about the cause and how the disease could affect them could be a good deterrent in the spread of the disease.

Educating especially teenagers, which usually do not acknowledge and almost never comply, and not only them, but also all kinds of humans from all the fields of activity, will reduce the transmission of this disease all over the world.

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