Can people with no symptoms pass hepatitis B to others?
Some people infected with HBV become chronic carriers of the virus, although they may have no symptoms. There are an estimated 1.5 million HBV carriers in the United States and 300 million carriers worldwide. Children, when exposed to HBV, are at greatest risk of becoming carriers. Up to 90 percent of babies who become infected at birth with HBV, and up to half of youngsters who are infected before 5 years of age, become chronic carriers. How is hepatitis B diagnosed? Several blood tests can detect signs of HBV even before symptoms develop. These tests measure liver function and identify HBV antigens (certain portions of the hepatitis B virus) or antibodies (proteins produced by the body in response to the virus) in the blood. How is hepatitis B treated? There are no specific treatments for the acute symptoms of viral hepatitis B. Doctors recommend bed rest, preventing dehydration, a healthy diet and avoidance of alcoholic beverages. A synthetic form of the protein interferon alpha is
