Hepatitis B Essay

759 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Hepatitis B structure and function

HBV:-
Hepatitis B virus is a pathogen which causes disease hepatitis B. It infects liver of hominoidae which includes humans resulting in inflammation which causes hepatitis. It was originally called as serum hepatitis which have epidemics in Asia and Africa. It is also endemic in some parts of China. Above than two billion people is infected by hepatitis B virus. It included three hundred and fifty million chronic patients of virus. HBV is transmitted through body fluids or by infectious blood.
Symptoms of hepatitis B:-
Symptoms are:
 Acute illness.
 Liver inflammation.
 Jaundice.
 Vomiting.
 Rarely death.
Chronic hepatitis may cause;
 Liver cirrhosis.
 Liver cancer.
This infection can be prevented by vaccination.
Family:-
HBV belongs to hepadnavirus. This genus contains …show more content…

Virus enters in cell by attachment to unknown receptor and enters through endocytosis. Partial double stranded DNA of virus is changed into full length double stranded DNA which is covalently closed and circular, it acts as transcription template for 4 viral mRNAs. Largest mRNA makes DNA polymerase, capsid proteins and new copies of genome. Long mRNA is transported back to cytoplasm where P protein synthesize DNA by reverse transcription.
Mechanism:-
HBV primarily infect liver by replicating into liver cells which are known as hepatocytes. HBV binds to host cell by preS domain and internalized through endocytosis. Viral clearance and hepatocellular damage are caused as a result of immune response of host during viral infection. Cytotoxic T lymphocytes contributes to liver injury when HBV infects. In addition platelets which are activated at infection site may accumulate CTLs in liver.
Transmission:-
HBV is transmitted by body fluids and exposure to blood. Possible forms are;
 Vertical transmission.
 Contaminated syringes and needles.
 Sexual contact.
 Blood transfusions from mother to baby.

Show More
Related

  • The Controversy of Mandatory Childhood Vaccinations

    1192 Words  | 3 Pages

    Most people have never thought twice about vaccines until the day they are faced with injecting a weakened virus with chemicals and known toxins into their baby.

    Read More

  • Hepatitis A Essay

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hepatitis A is a usually short-acting virus that occurs in humans and monkeys. It is caused by the Hepatovirus and the species is Hepatitis A Virus. There are two major ways in which hepatitis A can be transmitted. One way is from person to person. This transmission occurs when the fecal matter of an infected person gets ingested by another person.

    Read More

  • The Schistosomiasis Parasite in Contaminated Water

    776 Words  | 2 Pages

    Treatment: Chemotherapy is on treatment method. Most infected people benefit from the treatments. To of the best drugs for treatment are Praziquantel and Oxamniquine. The side effects are mild and transient, some of then are as followed:

    Read More

  • Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)

    1199 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are some simple blood tests (secondary prevention) such as Hepatitis B Surface Antigen, and (HBSAG), and Hepatitis B Surface Antibody (HBSAB) to find out if you have been infected. There is a safe and effective vaccine such as vaccine interferon alpha, recommended for newborns, infants, and teens, provides immunity for at least five years. In addition to vaccination (primary prevention), there are other simple ways to stop the spread of Hepatitis B. These are a few examples: first avoid direct contact with blood and bodily fluids, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after any potential exposure to blood. You also need to discard soiled items carefully into bags, avoid sharing items such as razors, nail clippers, toothbrushes, and earrings or body rings. In my opinion the most important prevention is to practice safe sex, and making sure new or sterile...

    Read More

  • Mumps Virus

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    The virus is primarily spherical shaped and roughly 200nm in size, surrounded by a host-cell derived membrane. Its genome is minus-sense single-stranded RNA 16-18 kb in length. It contains matrix protein inside the envelope, hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, fusion protein, nucleocapsid protein, and L and P proteins to form the RNA polymerase. The host-cell receptors on the outside are hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. The virus is allowed to enter the cell when the hemagglutinin/ neuraminidase glycoproteins fuse with the sialic acid on the surface of the host cell, and the capsid enters the cytoplasm. The infected cells express the fusion protein from the virus, and this links the host cells together to create syncitia.

    Read More

  • hepatitis

    717 Words  | 2 Pages

    HAV is known to be an infectious disease that usually occurs in children and young adults .The disease is usually transmitted from person to person through contaminated food, liquids or oral fecal route. An example would be when someone is carrying the virus and doesn’t wash their hands after using the restroom and then puts food in their mouth. HAV is most common in developing countries because of the living conditions and inadequate water, poor sewage facilities and sanitary conditions. The highest HAV levels in the world are from India,” Earlier reports suggest that India is hyperendemic for HAV infection2,4-6 with very high infection rates,” (Sowmyanarayanan). Most HAV are without severe complications, “Virus HAV infection rarely causes fulminant hepatic failure in people…,” (Vento,p.1) . The symptoms for HAV are high fever, nausea, vomiting and jaundice...

    Read More

  • Vaccines In Children

    1057 Words  | 3 Pages

    The idea behind vaccines is to provide the body with just enough of the disease-causing substance to trick the body into producing antibodies against it. By injecting weak or dead infectious agents through the skin, it’s believed that the body will create the appropriate immune defense. Infants come into the world with antibodies they have gotten from their mother through the placenta. Infants who are breastfed continue to receive many important antibodies in the colostrum (the thick, yellowish premilk that is secreted during the first few days after a woman gives birth) and breast milk. During the first year of life, the immunity an infant gets from its mother at birth wears off. To help boost the fading ability to fight certain diseases, vaccines are given. Once the antibodies are produced, they stay around, protecting the child against the disease they were designed to fight.

    Read More

  • Blood Borne Pathogens and Disease Transmission

    989 Words  | 2 Pages

    The signs and symptoms of blood borne pathogens vary based on the type of disease it is and the ability of a person’s immune system to fight it off. In most cases hepatitis B does not need to be treated and the body can fight it off on its own. However a long-term infection can develop in some people that can cause liver damage. There is a vaccination available to prevent acquiring the disease. The signs and symptoms for hepatitis C are usually mild. It can take two weeks to six months after contact before signs begin to show, or there may not be any symptoms at all. Hepatitis C typically becomes is a long-term infection and after many years will cause liver ...

    Read More

  • Pros And Cons Of Vaccines

    2253 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hepatitis B is a bacterial infection that displays symptoms like a visible rash on the surface of the skin, headache, abdominal pain, fatigue, anorexia, chills, severe liver damage, and can even lead to death. It can be contracted through close contact, especially sexual contact, through lesions on the skin from an infected person (Leu). Another required vaccination is Tdap. “It usually enters the body through the mouth and begins its replication in the throat and gastrointestinal tract. It moves to the bloodstream and continues to replicate and destroy motor neurons in the central nervous system. These are the motor neurons responsible for control of the muscles for swallowing, circulation, respiration and movement of the trunk, arms and legs” (Furnari). The last required vaccination is Hib. Symptoms for Hib include asthma, upper respiratory tract infections, lung disease, recurrent bronchitis, and death. Each of these vaccinations are required by schools to ensure the health of their

    Read More

  • Hepatitis B Essay

    866 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hepatitis B is a DNA viral infection that causes damage and inflammation to the liver. It was first discovered in 1965 by Dr. Baruch Blumberg. The HBV virus is very contagious and is even thought to be the most serious form of viral hepatitis and the most common viral infection on Earth. “HBV is 100 times more infectious than HIV.” (Green, 2002, pg. 7) The virus can survive for about one week outside the body on a dry surface. According to Green (2002, pg. 7), “One in twenty Americans has been infected with the virus at some point in their lives.” Between the ages of 15-39 is when 75% of new HBV infections occur, according to Green (2002, pg.8).

    Read More

  • Hepatitis B Essay

    669 Words  | 2 Pages

    Acute HBV infection is the most common type of infection in low endemic countries. The incubation period, from transmission to clearness, ranges from 40-180 days. The infection is either symptomatic or asymptomatic/ fulminant hepatitis. Children under the age of 5 years rarely experience symptomatic infection (10%), where’s about 30-40% infected adults and children above age 5 experience a symptomatic infection with yellowing of skin and teeth, vomiting, fatigue, laxity and abdominal pain [1].

    Read More

  • Hepatitis A Essay

    645 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hepatitis A is an acute infection of the liver that travels through your bloodstream and gastrointestinal tract (2). It is transmitted person to person through fecal contamination. Ingesting contaminated food and water is the main source, this usually occurs when an infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene (3). Outbreaks are fairly common in institutions, prisons and military forces. An early infection of Hepatitis A can mimic the flu with symptoms such as being febrile, lethargy, nausea, anorexia, abdominal discomfort and eventually causing severe jaundice (1). This virus can progress and cause liver failure and even death if not treated promptly (3).

    Read More

  • Vaccinations: Vaccines Should Be Mandatory For All People

    1002 Words  | 3 Pages

    When a child is born, the doctors start a regular vaccination schedule to keep them up to date. One thing that parents should be aware of is that before a child is two years old the blood cerebral barrier will still allow foreign proteins to directly enter into the brain where they might cause possible damage (Rau). If a child is sick then it’s best to wait until the child feels better before giving them a vaccine....

    Read More

  • The Pathophysiology of Hepatitis B

    1152 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hepatitis B, an infectious disease caused by the Hepatitis B virus (HBV, a DNA virus), was formerly called serum hepatitis, inoculation hepatitis and post-transfusion hepatitis. Infection with HBV may result in acute, fulminant or chronic hepatitis, sometimes even resulting in a chronic asymptomatic carrier state, apart from hepatocellular carcinoma and liver cirrhosis (Davis 179). The disease is transmitted when an individual comes in contact with infected blood or objects. It may also be transferred from an infected mother to her infant either during or after birth (Zuckerman et al. 211). Transmission may also occur by accidental inoculation from infected needles and hospital equipment, intravenous drug abuse, body piercing, tattooing, and mouth-mouth kissing (Zuckerman et al. 210). The risk of Hepatitis B is particularly high in individuals with multiple sex partners, and in homosexuals. The HBV virus occurs in morphologically different forms in the serum of infected individuals. HBV infection has an incubation period of about 75 days. Systemic symptoms of the disease include fatigue, fever, dyspepsia, arthralgia, malaise, and rash, while local symptoms include hepatomegaly, jaundice, dark urine, and pale stools (Davis 179; Zuckerman et al. 210).

    Read More

  • Environmental Transmission of Pathogens

    2337 Words  | 5 Pages

    Prevention of this virus would have been simple. There is a vaccine for Hepatitis B,however it wasn't used routinely until the 1980's , so many of these elderly may not have received it. In addition to this, there are ways to avoid transmission of Hepatitis B in this fashion (assisted monitoring of blood glucose). The personnel could have simply followed the rules and regulations set forth by the CDC for preventing transmission of blood-born pathogens. Outbreaks like this are less likely to occur in places like nursing homes because they are subject to federal regulations where these assisted living facilities are not. Federal regulation may help to prevent outbreaks like this also. Proper training of personnel in the area of blood-born pathogen transmission should be a requirement.

    Read More

More about Hepatitis B Essay

Open Document