Journal of Clinical Virology
Volume 34, Supplement 1 , Pages S1-S3, December 2005

Worldwide epidemiology of HBV infection, disease burden, and vaccine prevention

  • D. Lavanchy

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationCorresponding author. World Health Organization. 20, avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland

Abstract 

Worldwide, hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the most common among those hepatitis viruses that cause chronic infections of the liver in humans, and it represents a global public health problem. Chronic hepatitis caused by HBV is the major cause of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) worldwide, and remains therefore a major public health problem globally. This fact is related to both the continuing occurrence of frequent new infections and to the presence of a large reservoir of persons chronically infected, which may develop severe and fatal complications of chronic liver disease. Hepatitis B and all of the complications resulting from it, as well hepatitis D (HDV) and its complications, are globally preventable by hepatitis B vaccination, and therefore elimination of HBV transmission and of new acute and chronic infections is a feasible goal.

Keywords: Hepatitis B, Vaccine, Prevention, Epidemiology, Burden

No full text is available. To read the body of this article, please view the PDF online.

To access this article, please choose from the options below

Login to an existing account or Register a new account.

  • Purchase this article for 31.50 USD (You must login/register to purchase this article)

    Online access for 24 hours. The PDF version can be downloaded as your permanent record.

  • Subscribe to this title

    Get unlimited online access to this article and all other articles in this title 24/7 for one year.

  • Claim access now

    For current subscribers with Society Membership or Account Number.

  • Visit SciVerse ScienceDirect to see if you have access via your institution.
 

PII: S1386-6532(05)00384-7

Journal of Clinical Virology
Volume 34, Supplement 1 , Pages S1-S3, December 2005