Hepatitis B: An Epidemic
The World Health Organization defines epidemiology as “the study of the distribution and determinants of health- related states or events, and the application of the study to the control of diseases and other health problems” (CDC, 2014). Determinates of health are “the circumstances in which people are born, live, work and age as well as the systems put in place to deal with illness”. The communicable disease chain is a model beneficial to integrating the many concepts of communicable diseases (Maurer & Smith, 2009). A nurse has a significant role in preventing and controlling infectious disease. A vital factor in preparing for clinical nursing practice is having an understanding of the infection process and
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Hepatitis B causes considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. More than 400 million people have chronic hepatitis B. In the United States alone, 38,000 people become infected every year and about two to four thousand of those individuals die from cirrhosis or liver cancer caused by hepatitis B (Lin & Kirchner, 2004). One of the world’s most common and serious infectious diseases, hepatitis b virus causes more than one million deaths in a single year! “The incidence of the hepatitis B carrier state in populations is related most importantly to the incidence and age of the primary infection” (Lin & Kirchner, 2004). In low risk areas of the world, the highest incidence of the disease is seen in teens and young adults. In endemic areas of Asia and Africa, epidemiological patterns show that most infections occur in infants and children due to maternal-neonatal transmission (Lin & Kirchner, 2004).
There are five determinants of population health that are generally recognized in the factors that contribute to the development of hepatitis B. The first determinate is biology and genetics. Men are the most susceptible to chronic infection, but both can become infected at the same rate depending on that individual’s exposure to the infection (Blumberg, 2006). One out of every three people have been infected by hepatitis B. Commonly this virus affects Asia, southeast Asia, India, parts of Africa and South America, Eastern Europe, the
So what is Hepatitis B and what causes it? This is a liver disease that is normally spread through person to person via contact with the following: blood, semen, body fluids from a person with the virus. Most commonly, this disease unfortunately is spread from the mother to her
One such deadly disease is Hepatitis B. Hepatitis B is a life threatening liver infection that is caused due to Hepatitis B virus. This virus leads to chronic infection and results in to high risk of cirrhosis and liver cancer. Hepatitis B has two types, which have different effect on adults. Acute Hepatitis B occurs for short time. People usually affected by acute virus, get well with the time. On the other hand, there is Chronic Hepatitis B, which causes long time infection and damages liver. This virus spreads through the blood and body fluids of an infected person.
This can also increase the risk of liver cancer. Approximately 90-95% of adults will recover within six months and not contact HBV again.(2) However, blood tests will always show that the person was infected with HBV and blood banks will not accept their blood. About 5-10% of adults and 25-90% of children under the age of 5 that are infected with HBV are not able to get rid of the virus after 6 months. These people are considered to be chronically infected, commonly called Hepatitis B carriers. The carrier rate of Hepatitis B varies throughout the world, being uncommon amongst westerners, but reaching as high as 20% in people from Asia and Africa. With the immigration of foreigners into new countries, Hepatitis B is now becoming established in parts of countries where it previously was not.
It’s all something that they’ve heard about, but do they really know as much about the Hepatitis B virus (HBV) as they think? HBV is a virus that attacks the liver, which can cause lifelong infections and other serious diseases (CDC, 2014). HBV is spread in multiple ways and is more life threatening than people realize. Explaining HBV requires much understanding about the virus, so to start out, pathophysiology will be the first topic, then into clinical manifestations, medical management, nursing interventions, and to finish off with a conclusion of the disease. Surprisingly enough, there isn’t enough awareness about this virus as would be expected. It’s a very serious and potentially deadly disease that goes unspoken of.
In Hepatitis B, it is the biggest part of your body your liver, it helps your body digest food and stores energy and also remove poison. What is Hepatitis B? A swerve from viral hepatitis transmitted in infected in the blood causing a fever and debility and jaundice. In Hepatitis B, you can also contact people by blood, semen or body fluids. How do you know if you have Hepatitis B? by yellow of skin of the eye, dark color urine and you will have pale movements. The worst part of having Hepatitis B, is that you can receive liver cancer and also, liver failure and also can lead you to cirrhosis. The case of Christina L. Pertteruti verse the United States of American dills with the plantiff having the vaccine of Hepatitis B that was brought
The Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a species of the genus Orthohepadnavirus that is transmitted via blood and bodily fluids. It affects the liver by causing a wide range of diseases, “from acute hepatitis (including fulminant hepatic failure), to chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and potentially hepatocellular carcinoma” (Liang, 2009).
Adults between the ages of 20 and 50 are more commonly said to be affected with hep-B in the United States than children. Since 1990 the routine for immunization against the disease has led to a decline in children for the past decades. African Americans are infected with the disease than either Hispanics or Caucasians, Alaskan Eskimos and Pacific Islanders however have a higher carrier status rate than other racial groups. Compared other racial groups Asian Americans are at increased risk of severe liver damage from hepatitis B. More males than females are infected with hepatitis B in all races and age groups Compared to tha of patients with hepatitis A or C, those with HBV infection are less able to continue their usual activities and require more time resting in bed.
This virus was found by a doctor named Mario Rizzetto. He came up with the antigen that was found in the in the liver cells of some patients that had been infected with Hepatitis B Virus (HBV). According to research 850,000 people in the U.S. are estimated to be living with hepatitis B. The actual number may be as high as 2.2 million or as low as 730,000. Hepatitis D itself, the number is unknown, but it does coexist with Hepatitis B.
The disease burden is a critical issue for the decisions on the national health policies and so there is a need for accurate estimations globally, regionally and nationally. However, accurate data on the burden of chronic HCV infection are defective globally. Despite the data shortage, it was estimated that about 350,000 deaths occur each year due to HCV infections (Lavanchy, 2009).
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common cause of cancer death globally. The epidemiology varies regionally. This variation could be due to the difference in aetiologies. Among all the risk factors hepatitis B and C infections are the most important risk factors of hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatocellular carcinoma rates are higher in developing countries and so is the incidence of hepatitis B and hepatitis C. However the figures in the developed countries are contrary. This could be due to the better hepatitis B virus vaccination programs, better food hygiene, and better control of the transfusion related mechanisms. In Pakistan
A “dead” or “watered down” version of the disease is injected into your blood stream from a needle and this will stimulate the bodies immune system to make antibodies that will be able to fight of the disease. Antibodies will form and these will protect the body from the hepatitis disease if your body comes into contact with the disease. Your body will “remember” how to make these antibodies so if you do come in contact with Hepatitis B later on your body will already know how to fight it off. Other ways to stop the spread of Hepatitis B include washing your hands thoroughly after any potential exposure to the virus or its carrier ,avoiding direct contact with blood and other bodily fluids that are infected with the virus, cleaning up blood spills with a fresh diluted bleach solution as soon as possible, avoiding sharp objects like razors that have been used by someone else and not sterilized properly, avoiding illegal drugs and always make sure that needles are sterilized before using them. The science community is helping to keep the spread of Hepatitis B by developing the vaccines used and the government is providing the community with a way to stop the spread of hepatitis by giving theses vaccines to all high school aged children and babies when the have been born. The vaccines that have been developed to stop hepatitis b are stopping lots of people from getting extremely sick or ill. Hepatitis can not be spread by touching another person unless bodily fluids are exchanged so it is a good idea to make sure that when touching another person you where gloves and keep all contact between people to a
Hepatitis B is a disease that basically attacks the liver. Hepatitis B is a transmitted disease, meaning you can't get hepatitis B unless a persons bodily fluids has been transmitted from one person to another who isn't affected. You can get hepatitis B by also doing common things that doesn't seem like not a big deal, but leads to a big effect later on. For example, you can get hepatitis B by using another person's razor because if you cut yourself with it and they cut themselves with it as well it could lead to infection and easily into your body. Also by sharing dirty needles and being tattooed and that's's why it is very important to make sure everything is completely sanitized no matter what it is. Depending how badly it is you could cause
The Hepatitis B virus can effect about “eighteen thousand children less than ten years of age” (Merino 2105). There are about one million people affected with the Hepatitis B virus in the United
The enveloped DNA virus, Hepatitis B, was discovered by Dr. Baruch Blumberg in 1965. However, in 1967 people were able to start getting tested for Hepatitis B and it was also officially confirmed. The virus is only carried by chimpanzees and humans through their blood and body fluids. Hepatitis B can be transmitted through birth if the mother is infected, sharing needles, and unsafe sex (Randolph, 2016). There is a genetically modified vaccine for Hepatitis B originally produced in 1986 and still used today. The vaccine is efficient and said to last for at least twenty years (“Hepatitis B Vaccination,” 2012).
Individuals with inactive hepatitis B surface antigen are referred to as chronic carriers. These individuals may not show clinical signs of the disease. They do not exhibit raised levels of AST and ALT, but they tend to have low viral loads (Zein & Edwards, 2009). Individuals with HBeAg positive or negative tend to exhibit higher viral loads and they are both contagious (Zein & Edwards, 2009). Individuals who are HBeAg negative do not have the antigen themselves, but are still able to spread the disease to others. Individuals who have resolved chronic hepatitis B are less likely to develop liver cancer or cirrhosis and their AST, ALT, and