Key facts
- Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease.
- The virus is transmitted through contact with the blood or other body fluids of an infected person.
- An estimated 240 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B (defined as hepatitis B surface antigen positive for at least 6 months).
- More than 686,000 people die every year due to complications of hepatitis B, including cirrhosis and liver cancer 1.
- Hepatitis B is an important occupational hazard for health workers.
- It can be prevented by a currently available, safe and effective vaccine.

Hepatitis B is a potentially life-threatening liver infection; it is a major global health problem; it can cause chronic infection and puts people at high risk of death from cirrhosis and liver cancer.

See more information at the reference.

World Health Organization. Hepatitis B. Fact sheet updated July 2016. Internet. Accessed on July 16, 2016.