Hepatitis B is a highly communicable disease caused by the hepatitis B virus belonging to a family of DNA viruses, which have made the human body their natural host. However, this virus is highly adaptable to the conditions outside the body that it can survive for a long time on non-living things such as medical equipment, many months after the exposure. This is one of the ways this virus can be transferred.



The hepatitis B virus poses at least 100 times lesser risk than HIV while it is present with more viral particles in the infected blood. However, it has been confirmed that this virus can also be transmitted through the saliva.

The hepatitis B is transmitted much faster than the HIV infection through sexual unprotected contact. It also has another very interesting as well as dangerous feature from this point of view. It can be transmitted through intimate family contact, especially when the living conditions are "crowded". Aside from that, it can also be transmitted when in contact with biological liquids: blood, seminal liquid, vaginal secretions, and saliva.

There are four transmission mechanisms of this nasty infection. First, one is called vertical, when the mother passes the virus to the newborn. The second one is called horizontal and it happens between children, teenagers and young people or even adults. This usually happens through saliva or contaminated blood, which goes into the organism through superficial wounds and scratches. Parents, grandparents, older brothers, which are infected, they are all a potential horizontal source of infection.

Sexual transmission is made by normal or homosexual activity between a healthy and an infected individual. Parental transmission of the virus of the Hepatitis B is performed through blood as well as through contaminated blood products, which enter the organism of a healthy host through syringe needles, blood transfusions, hem dialysis, or even intravenous administered drugs.

Globally, doctors and medical staff working in hospitals that are directly in contact with infected patients also run the risk of being infected. A lot of other workers are exposed to infections due to the nature of their jobs are the police, the paramedics, firemen and military workers.

We must also keep in mind that there are over three million carriers of the Hepatitis B virus all over the world. We must always take good care of the things,objects and people we encounter, even if we do not work in the fields such as the ones described above. Infected objects, such as needles could be very dangerous and they could be the ones transmitting the hepatitis B virus to a healthy body. In addition, we must educate children in this matter, so that they realize the risks of this disease.

Effective dissemination of information about this infection to everybody, especially teenagers who have a tendency to throw all cares to the wind including sexual matters will lower the incidence of contamination worldwide.