Understanding Hepatitis B

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Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) belongs to the Hepadnarvirus family. The virus particles consist of a lipid envelope that contains surface antigens, HBsAg, a core made of proteins, viral DNA, and polymerase. Theses virions are approximately forty nm in diameter, which are known as one of the smallest enveloped animal viruses. It infects hepatocytes, also known as Dana particles. The genome of HBV is circular, partly double stranded, and approximately 3,200 nucleotides long.

Dr. Baruch Blumberd first discovered HBV in 1963 when he discovered an antigen that had a presence of HBV in blood samples. Dr. Blumberd and his colleagues travelled around the world collecting blood samples. They specifically studied patients who had received multiple blood transfusions. After research, they found the antigen that caused hepatitis B. Hepatitis B was then recognized in 1967. Two years later, Dr. Blumberg and his colleague invented the hepatitis B vaccine. The hepatitis B vaccine was named the first anti-cancer vaccine from the US Food and Drug Administration due to its prevention of chronic hepatitis infections, which resulted in the prevention of liver cancer due to HBV. The hepatitis B vaccines are now given to millions of people, particularly in Asia and Africa.

Hepatitis B is transmitted through blood and infected bodily fluid. This can happen several ways. First, it can be from direct blood-to-blood contact. This can happen when an individual get a blood transfusion from an infected individual. These cases were more popular when doctors didn’t test blood samples for viruses before a blood transfusion. Secondly, it can be transmitted from unprotected sex. An individual may become infected when they have unprotected sexual intercou...

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...tis B infections last longer and require anti-viral treatments. Some of the drugs used to treat hepatitis B are Interferon Alpha, Lamivudine, and Adefovir Dipivoxil.

Works Cited

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 May 2012. Web. 01 May 2014. .

"Hepatitis B." Definition. N.p., 01 Sept. 2011. Web. 01 May 2014. .

"Statistics." Hep B: Hepatitis B Foundation. N.p., 12 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 May 2014. .

"Treatment of chronic hepatitis B: who to treat, what to use, and for how long?." National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Oct. 2004. Web. 01 May 2014. .

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