Hepatitis B Infection and Prevention

Hepatitis B is one of the most common infectious diseases globally. The prevalence of chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection varies geographically, from high (>8%), intermediate (2-7%) to low (<2%) prevalence. The predominant routes of transmission vary according to the endemicity of the HBV infection. In areas with high HBV endemicity, perinatal transmission is the main route of transmission, whereas in areas with low HBV endemicity, sexual contact amongst high-risk adults and using shared needles amongst injection drug users are the predominant route. Three main strategies have been approved to be effective in preventing HBV infection. They are behavior modification, passive immunoprophylaxis, and active immunization.