CONTROL OF HEPATITIS B INFECTION

Abstract

Hepatitis B infection remains a public health problem word-wide because of its high endemicity in most countries of the world and the presence of the virus in many body fluids/secretions, which is responsible for several alterative modes of transmissions. Also, the fact that most of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections occur in infancy or early childhood where over 70% of the infections is asymptomatic and nearly over half of the primary infection results in chronic infection/ carrier, is another reason. Most of the HBV related chronic liver diseases are associated with the chronic infection, which manifestations occur in adulthood. This article examined the various measures that can be used in the control of the disease taking into consideration the epidemiological factors responsible for the occurrence and distribution of the disease.


(Af J Clinical & Exp Microbiology: 2003 4(2): 98-106)