Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is caused by a highly contagious virus that infects the liver. It affects all age groups and can lead to liver disease, liver cancer and death in many of those afflicted. The virus is found in the blood and body fluids of infected people and can be spread through sexual contact, the sharing of needles or razors, from mother to infant during birth, and by living in a household with a chronically infected person. The hepatitis B virus (HBV) is hardy and can live outside the body for several days.

Hepatitis B is a "silent disease" that often affects many people without making them feel sick. If you do get sick from hepatitis B, the symptoms may be like the "flu." You may lose your appetite, feel extremely tired, have stomach cramps and vomit. If you are more seriously ill, your skin and eyes may turn yellow (jaundiced) and you may need hospitalization. There is no specific treatment for hepatitis B once it is contracted.

 

More

http://dir.yahoo.com/Health/Diseases_and_Conditions/Hepatitis/Hepatitis_B/

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitisb.html