Hepatitis B is a viral infection that attacks the liver and can cause both acute and chronic disease. The virus is most transmitted from mother to child during birth and delivery, as well as through contact with blood or other body fluids during sex with an infected partner, unsafe injections or exposures to sharp instruments. It often does not cause any obvious symptoms in adults, and typically passes in a few months without treatment. But in children, it often persists for years and may eventually cause serious liver damage. Hepatitis B is less common in the UK than other parts of the world, but certain groups are at an increased risk. There are two types of hepatitis B infection: acute and chronic.

Acute: An acute infection happens at the beginning, when you first get infected with hepatitis B. Many people are able to clear it from their bodies and recover. In fact, this is true of about 4 in 5 adults who are infected.

Chronic: If you are not able to clear the infection within six months or longer, you have chronic hepatitis B. (Chronic means long-lasting.) It is chronic hepatitis B that leads to inflammation and the serious, and possibly fatal, illnesses of cirrhosis of the liver and liver cancer. Treatment can slow disease progress, reduce the chance of liver cancer, and increase your chances of surviving.

Clinical Manifestations:

 

Signs and symptoms of hepatitis B range from mild to severe. They usually appear about one to four months after you've been infected, although you could see them as early as two weeks post-infection. Some people, usually young children, may not have any symptoms.

 

Hepatitis B signs and symptoms may include:

• Abdominal pain.
• Dark urine.
• Fever.
• Joint pain.
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting.
• Weakness and fatigue.
• Yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (jaundice).

 

Risk Factors

Hepatitis B spreads through contact with blood, semen, or other body fluids from an infected person. Your risk of hepatitis B infection increases if you:

 

• Have unprotected sex with multiple sex partners or with someone who's infected with HBV.
• Share needles during IV drug use.
• A man who has sex with other men.
• Live with someone who has a chronic HBV infection.
• An infant born to an infected mother.
• Have a job that exposes you to human blood.
• Travel to regions with high infection rates of HBV, such as Asia, the Pacific Islands, Africa and Eastern Europe.

 

Complications.

 

Having a chronic HBV infection can lead to serious complications, such as:

 

• Scarring of the liver (cirrhosis): The inflammation associated with a hepatitis B infection can lead to extensive liver scarring (cirrhosis), which may impair the liver's ability to function.
•  Liver cancer: People with chronic hepatitis B infection have an increased risk of liver cancer.
•  Liver failure: Acute liver failure is a condition in which the vital functions of the liver shut down. When that occurs, a liver transplant is necessary to sustain life.
•  Other conditions: People with chronic hepatitis B may develop kidney disease or inflammation of blood vessels.

 

Important information

• Sample type: Urine 
• Kits will be posted to you containing instruction
• Take the test according to the instruction
• Post the kits back to us using our pre-paid envelope
• Your sample will be received by our laboratory team depending on the day and time of postage.
• If you purchase your test on Monday – Friday by 12.00 noon, you will receive your test kits the following day. However, any test purchased after 12.00 noon will be dispatched the day after we receive your order. 
• Please note that any samples sent to us on Saturday will be received by our laboratory team on Monday. 
• Our turnaround time is 2 working days upon receipt of your samples.
• If you drop your samples directly to our laboratory, your result will be ready within 22-48 hours upon receipt.