At risk for chronic hepatitis B?

According to the World Health Organization, chronic hepatitis B affects approximately 240 million people worldwide and 1.2 million in the U.S. The good news is that there is a quick, one-time blood test to determine whether you have the disease and have the antibody that protects against getting it, and there is also a safe vaccine to prevent future hepatitis B infection. BeWell spoke with Dr. Samuel So, MD, the Lui Hac Minh Professor of Surgery at the Stanford School of Medicine, to learn more.

What is chronic hepatitis B and how is it transmitted?

Chronic hepatitis B is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis B virus, and is transmitted in three ways: at birth from an infected mother to the newborn, direct contact with infected blood, and unprotected sex.

Prior to the global introduction of newborn hepatitis B vaccination in 1992, many foreign-born persons — regardless of socioeconomic status — were unknowingly infected at birth or early childhood. The main risk factor for those in the United States is having been born in endemic countries such as China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Laos and Cambodia.

Most infected adults are able to get rid of the hepatitis B virus without treatment. However, some adults and most infected babies and children who fail to clear the initial infection will develop chronic (life-long) hepatitis B and even liver cancer.

How common is chronic hepatitis B?

There are approximately 240 million people living with chronic hepatitis B worldwide, which is more than 7 times the number of people living with HIV. In the U.S., more than half of the people with the disease are of Asian descent.

Why does it matter?

Hepatitis B is dangerous because it is a “silent infection” that can infect people without them knowing it. In the U.S., two out of three persons living with chronic hepatitis B are unaware of their disease because they have not been tested and can unknowingly pass the virus to others through their blood and infected bodily fluids.

For those who become chronically infected, there is an increased risk of developing serious liver disease later in life. The virus can quietly and continuously attack the liver over many years without being detected. They might feel healthy and their blood test for liver enzymes may even be normal. But one in four people with chronic hepatitis B will die from liver cancer or liver failure that could be avoided with appropriate monitoring and treatment. Chronic hepatitis B is the cause of more than 50 percent of the liver cancers worldwide.

What is the biggest misconception about the disease?

It is false to believe that just because an individual may have no symptoms, he or she therefore must not have chronic hepatitis B. Even if you have no symptoms, you should seek screening and, if necessary, long-term medical care.

What actions do you recommend?

1. Get a one-time blood test: Ask your doctor to test you for a Hep B surface antigen (this will tell you if you have it) and a Hep B surface antibody (this will tell you if you are protected). If your tests are negative for the antibody, you are not protected.

2. Get vaccinated: The Hep B vaccine has been called the first anti-cancer vaccine — and for good reason. A series of three shots over six months can protect you for life.

3. Get appropriate monitoring and treatment if you have chronic hepatitis B.

Any final thoughts?

Protect yourself and your family. A simple, one-time hepatitis B blood test can save lives. Find out if you should be tested or vaccinated by visiting http://hepbhra.org/ and complete a short health risk assessment to help you determine your risk for hepatitis B. Your answers will remain confidential and no information reported will ever identify you based on your answers.

In partnership with the Santa Clara Department of Health, elected officials and community partners, the Asian Liver Center launched the Santa Clara Hep B Free campaign to get every Asian American and at-risk foreign-born person tested for hepatitis B.

Learn more about your risk.

Interview conducted by Julie Croteau and edited by Lane McKenna Ryan.

Interview conducted by Julie Croteau and edited by Lane McKenna Ryan.