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.

Is Hepatitis Preventable?

Hepatitis B Prevention

Hepatitis B Immunization

Hepatitis B Diagnosis

Hepatitis B Symptoms

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis D

Hepatitis B Structure: Capsid Flexibility and Function

Hepatitis B Treatment

Hepatitis B Mechanisms

Closed Circular DNA and Hepatitis B Infection

Hepatitis B Prognosis

Latest Hepatitis B News and Research

Microbial metabolites could help improve functional cure rates for hepatitis B

Chronic hepatitis B (CHB) remains a major global challenge. Current therapies suppress HBV but rarely achieve functional cure (sustained HBsAg loss).

30 Jul 2026

Novel interventional approach successfully treats rare hepatic myelopathy

Hepatic myelopathy (HM) is a rare neurological complication of decompensated chronic liver disease that profoundly impairs quality of life.

28 Jul 2026

Integration is key to fighting global epidemics, WHO reports

The World Health Organization (WHO) today launched a new report assessing progress in implementing the Global Health Sector Strategies (GHSS) on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) for 2022–2030.

28 Jul 2026

Europe risks missing target to eliminate viral hepatitis by 2030

While Europe has made steady progress in preventing hepatitis B and C, with the prevalence of hepatitis B now at near-zero levels among children below five years old, an uneven implementation of key measures means that the region is set to miss the 2030 target to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health threat, according to new data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) on World Hepatitis Day.

28 Jul 2026

Occult hepatitis B mutations drive liver cancer growth via Akt mTOR pathway

Occult hepatitis B virus (OBI) infection presents a significant global health challenge, notoriously flying under the radar of standard viral screening while relentlessly driving the pathogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

22 Jul 2026

Survey finds widespread uncertainty over pregnancy vaccine recommendations

Most Americans are unaware or unsure of which vaccines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends during pregnancy, according to a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC) of the University of Pennsylvania.

22 Jul 2026

Study reveals mechanism underlying HBV-induced liver inflammation

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains a major cause of global liver morbidity, leading to progressive necroinflammation that often culminates in cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.

17 Jul 2026

Integrating gene signatures and multi omics improves liver cancer treatment

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains highly fatal due to late diagnosis and scarce early biomarkers.

14 Jul 2026

New viral library helps scientists study thousands of proteins

To prevent viruses from sickening or killing us - whether it's an individual case of hepatitis B or a COVID pandemic - it's crucial to understand how the proteins they make initiate changes in our bodies that allow them to flourish.

11 Jul 2026

Global cancer cases projected to reach nearly 35 million by 2050

Millions of people are facing physical, emotional and financial toll of cancer, a disease that claims more than 26 000 lives every day, according to a report released today by the World Health Organization (WHO).

9 Jul 2026

Strategic healthcare interventions bring Japan close to eliminating hepatitis

Hepatitis B (HBV) and hepatitis C (HCV) are viral infections that can lead to health conditions such as cirrhosis, cancer, and potentially death if unmanaged. HBV can be transmitted through sexual contact, blood exposure, and mother-to-child transmission, while HCV is primarily transmitted through blood-to-blood contact.

25 Jun 2026

Targeted vaccination strategies strengthen global biosecurity and biosafety

Biosafety prevents biohazard risks to humans and the environment, biosecurity protects biological assets from misuse, and One Health is an interdisciplinary framework uniting human, animal, and environmental health—all core to global health protection.

17 Jun 2026

Chronic liver disease threatens millions across Europe, report finds

Europe is facing a growing chronic liver disease threat, according to a new Series published today in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, that engaged more than 75 co-authors from 30 countries and was led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), an institution supported by the "la Caixa" Foundation.

25 May 2026

Combination therapy improves response rates for chronic hepatitis B patients

The optimal management strategy for adults with immune-tolerant (IT) chronic hepatitis B infection remains undefined. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and predictive factors of a pegylated interferon (Peg-IFN)-based treatment strategy in IT patients with chronic HBV infection.

22 May 2026

Optimized extended PCLS culture system extends tissue viability up to two weeks

Precision-cut liver slice (PCLS) technology has long been regarded as a promising ex vivo platform because it preserves the native multicellular architecture of liver tissue.

22 May 2026

Immune cell discovery reveals new pathway for hepatitis B treatment

Fifteen years ago, doctors in Europe noticed a remarkable thing happening in people with chronic hepatitis B infections. When patients went off their medications, the virus started to come back - and then some of the patients were cured.

13 May 2026

WHO report shows measurable progress in reducing global hepatitis infections

Global efforts to combat viral hepatitis are delivering measurable progress in reducing infections and deaths, but the disease remains a major global health challenge, according to a new World Health Organization (WHO) report released today at the World Hepatitis Summit.

28 Apr 2026

Modeling the synergy of maternal screening and newborn HBV vaccination

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection acquired at birth or during early infancy can lead to lifelong health complications, including chronic liver disease. Despite longstanding recommendations for prenatal screening, an estimated 12% to 16% of pregnant individuals in the US are not screened for hepatitis B. This gap leaves a portion of newborns at risk for undetected exposure.

28 Apr 2026

Delaying hepatitis B birth vaccines increases infant infection risks

Delaying hepatitis B vaccination after birth increases infections among newborns and decreases their survival rates and quality of life, according to a new Cornell University study.

27 Apr 2026

Long-term study supports tenofovir alafenamide for chronic hepatitis B

Tenofovir alafenamide (TAF) has demonstrated comparable efficacy to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), with improved renal and bone safety, in Chinese participants with chronic hepatitis B enrolled in two Phase 3 trials.

24 Apr 2026