This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Transmission

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

HBV is present in high concentration in the blood and bodily fluids of many hepatitis B virus carriers.

Transmission predominantly occurs through percutaneous or mucosal exposure to infected blood and various body fluids, including saliva, menstrual, vaginal, and seminal fluids

  • sexual transmission
    • particularly in unvaccinated men who have sex with men and heterosexual persons with multiple sex partners or contact with sex workers.
  • accidental inoculation of minute amounts of blood or fluid
    • during medical, surgical and dental procedures
      • there is a 30-40% chance of transmitting the infection to a susceptible contact via a needlestick injury
    • intravenous and percutaneous drug abuse
      • account for over 20% of identified UK acute cases
    • from razors and similar objects contaminated with infected blood
    • use of inadequately sterilized syringes and needles
    • tattooing; body piercing; and acupuncture
  • perinatal transmission
    • is a major route of HBV transmission in many parts of the world
    • infection may transmit at the time of, or shortly after birth
      • transmission in utero appears to be uncommon and is generally associated with antepartum haemorrhage and placental tears
    • risk of perinatal infection is also increased if the mother has acute hepatitis B in the second or third trimester of pregnancy or within two months of delivery
    • risk of developing chronic infection is 90% following perinatal infection (up to 6 months of age) but decreases to 20–60% between the ages of 6 months and 5 years (1)

Reference:


Create an account to add page annotations

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.