County of Los Angeles
Department of Public Health
Acute Communicable Disease Control
313 N. Figueroa Street, Room 212
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 240-7941
Fax: (213) 482-4856
E-Mail:acdc2@ph.lacounty.gov
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Acute Communicable Disease Control
Hepatitis B
Overall, hepatitis B is more prevalent and infectious than AIDS. Hepatitis B is a
vaccine-preventable disease transmitted through parenteral or mucous membrane exposure
(via sex or drugs) to the blood and other bodily fluids of individuals infected with
the hepatitis B virus (HBV), a DNA-virus of the Hepadnaviridae family. It is also
spread from mother to child at birth or soon after birth. Symptoms, which occur in
less than half of those acutely infected, may be very mild and flu-like: anorexia,
nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, muscle or joint aches, jaundice and mild fever.
Approximately 2–10% of adults infected with HBV are unable to clear the virus within
six months and become chronic carriers. Death from cirrhosis or liver cancer is
estimated to occur in 15–25% of those with chronic infection.
For the purpose of surveillance, ACDC uses the CDC/CSTE criteria for acute hepatitis B
which include: 1) discrete onset of symptoms and 2) jaundice or elevated
aminotransferase levels, and 3) appropriate laboratory tests to confirm acute
hepatitis B diagnosis (i.e., HBsAg positive or anti-HBc IgM positive, if done, and
anti-HAV IgM negative, if done).
Overall, hepatitis B is more prevalent and infectious than AIDS. Hepatitis B is a
vaccine-preventable disease transmitted through parenteral or mucous membrane exposure
(via sex or drugs) to the blood and other bodily fluids of individuals infected with
the hepatitis B virus (HBV), a DNA-virus of the Hepadnaviridae family. It is also
spread from mother to child at birth or soon after birth. Symptoms, which occur in
less than half of those acutely infected, may be very mild and flu-like: anorexia,
nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, muscle or joint aches, jaundice and mild fever.
Approximately 2–10% of adults infected with HBV are unable to clear the virus within
six months and become chronic carriers. Death from cirrhosis or liver cancer is
estimated to occur in 15–25% of those with chronic infection.