Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is one type of hepatitis – a liver disease- caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). Hepatitis B spreads by contact with an infected person's blood, semen or other body fluid. An infected woman can give hepatitis B to her baby at birth.

What is Hepatitis B?

Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver that is spread when contact is made with blood or blood products from an infected individual.

Hepatitis B Mechanisms

Is Hepatitis Preventable?

Hepatitis B Treatment

Hepatitis B Immunization

Closed Circular DNA and Hepatitis B Infection

Hepatitis B Diagnosis

Hepatitis B Symptoms

Hepatitis B Prognosis

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis D

Hepatitis B Structure: Capsid Flexibility and Function

Hepatitis B Prevention

Latest Hepatitis B News and Research

Watch: Fired CDC chief says RFK Jr. demanded she roll back vaccine policies without evidence

Susan Monarez, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on Sept. 17 in her first public remarks since she was fired.

17 Sep 2025

RFK Jr.’s vaccine panel expected to recommend delaying hepatitis B shot for children

A key federal vaccine advisory panel whose members were recently replaced by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is expected to vote to recommend delaying until age 4 the hepatitis B vaccine that's currently given to newborns, according to two former senior Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.

16 Sep 2025

Hepatitis B immunity reduces diabetes risk across age groups

New research to be presented at this year's Annual Meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in Vienna, Austria (15-19 September) and published in the journal Diagnostics shows that people with hepatitis B immunity induced by vaccination have a lower risk of developing diabetes of any kind.

2 Sep 2025

CHI3L1 emerges as a powerful biomarker for liver disease diagnosis and management

The identification of Chitinase-3-like protein 1 (CHI3L1) as a crucial biomarker in liver disease is revolutionizing how clinicians approach the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of various liver conditions.

22 Aug 2025

The HBsAg/HBV DNA ratio's potential for predicting disease progression

Patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in the immune-tolerant phase may still experience hepatic inflammation and disease progression, and could benefit from early antiviral treatment.

22 Aug 2025

Tenofovir amibufenamide shows efficacy in chronic hepatitis B patients with normal ALT

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV)-infected patients may exhibit liver fibrosis and other pathological changes despite normal alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

19 Aug 2025

‘Alternative facts’ aren’t a reason to skip vaccines

President Donald Trump's administrations have been notorious for an array of "alternative facts" — ranging from the relatively minor (the size of inaugural crowds) to threats to U.S. democracy, such as who really won the 2020 election.

14 Aug 2025

International commission calls for action against hepatocellular carcinoma

Liver cancer is the sixth most common cancer as well as the third highest cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide.

8 Aug 2025

New toolkit supports hepatitis prevention and care in European prisons

The new toolkit is designed to support the implementation and scale-up of hepatitis B and C interventions in prisons across Europe.

6 Aug 2025

Rising liver cancer rates highlight need for urgent action worldwide

The majority of liver cancer cases could be prevented by reducing levels of viral hepatitis, alcohol consumption and MASLD (metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease – previously called non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), suggests an analysis as part of The Lancet Commission on liver cancer.

29 Jul 2025

WHO urges urgent action to eliminate hepatitis and reduce liver cancer deaths

As we mark World Hepatitis Day, WHO calls on governments and partners to urgently accelerate efforts to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat and reduce liver cancer deaths.

29 Jul 2025

New study reveals high lifetime exposure to hepatitis B and C in Ukraine

A study just published on Eurosurveillance has found evidence of substantial lifetime exposure to hepatitis B and C viruses in Ukraine in a 2021 nationwide, representative sample of the population, with findings also suggesting significant ongoing circulation of these viruses.

24 Jul 2025

APOE ε4 variant reveals hidden risk factors beyond Alzheimer’s

Researchers discovered that people carrying the APOE ε4 gene variant share a unique immune-related protein signature across their blood, brain, and cerebrospinal fluid—regardless of neurodegenerative disease diagnosis. This signature reveals a fundamental, disease-independent vulnerability linked to APOE ε4, reframing our understanding of genetic risk in conditions like Alzheimer's, Parkinson’s, ALS, and FTD.

21 Jul 2025

Louisiana upholds its HIV exposure law as other states change or repeal theirs

When Robert Smith met his future girlfriend in 2010, he wanted to take things slowly. For Smith, no relationship had been easy in the years since he was diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus, or HIV.

21 Jul 2025

Study reveals complex patterns of burden and survival among people with digestive system cancers in China

Digestive system malignancies (DSMTs)-including esophageal, gastric, colorectal, liver, and pancreatic cancers-represent a major public health challenge in China.

18 Jul 2025

New WHO guidelines recommend injectable lenacapavir for HIV prevention

The World Health Organization (WHO) released today new guidelines recommending the use of injectable lenacapavir (LEN) twice a year as an additional pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) option for HIV prevention, in a landmark policy action that could help reshape the global HIV response.

14 Jul 2025

Limiting carcinogen exposure could mitigate liver cancer risk for people with HBV infection

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is known to be associated with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), but how and why they are connected remains unknown.

27 Jun 2025

Kennedy’s vaccine advisers sow doubts as scientists protest US pivot on shots

As fired and retired scientists rallied outside in the Atlanta heat, an advisory panel that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. handpicked to replace experts he'd fired earlier met inside the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's headquarters to plan a more skeptical vaccine future.

27 Jun 2025

Alcoholic liver disease exacerbates HBV reactivation and worsens outcomes in liver transplant recipients

A recent study published in Engineering has shed light on the impact of alcoholic liver disease (ALD) on post-transplant hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation and survival outcomes in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

24 Jun 2025

Circular RNAs emerge as key players in hepatitis B-related liver cancer

Hepatitis B virus-induced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a major global health burden, and new therapeutic and diagnostic approaches are urgently needed.

20 Jun 2025