Hepatitis B
Definition
Hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Description
Hepatitis B is a form of viral hepatitis that is also known as serum hepatitis, due to its ability to be spread through body fluids and blood. HBV can cause lifelong infection, cirrhosis (scarring) of the liver, liver cancer, liver failure, and death. Hepatitis B is a more severe liver disease than hepatitis A, and asymptomatic infections occur frequently. Chronic hepatitis B infection may take one of two forms: chronic persistent hepatitis, a condition characterized by persistence of the virus but in which liver damage is minimal; and chronic active...
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