PMID: 15381938Sep 24, 2004Paper

Virology, epidemiology and transmission mechanisms of hepatitis B virus

Anales del sistema sanitario de Navarra
D MorenoN García-González

Abstract

Illness due to the hepatitis B virus is an enormous problem for international public health, affecting over 300 million persons throughout the world, although its prevalence varies considerably between different geographic areas. The universal vaccination of the newly born, promulgated by the World Health Organisation, has made it possible to partially control the spread of the virus in many countries, including Spain. However, the vaccine does not generate protective antibodies in approximately 5% of the population. Besides, infection by the hepatitis B virus can produce few symptoms and the virus is easily transmitted, making its epidemiological control difficult. On the other hand, the growing flow of bi-directional migration of persons between geographical areas with a moderate or high prevalence and Spain also seems to be contributing to the persistence of the disease in our milieu. All of this makes it compulsory to deploy an ensemble of preventive measures based on an increasingly deep understanding of the biological cycle of the virus. In Spain, as in other regions with a low prevalence, the hepatitis B virus infection is considered chiefly to be a disease of sexual transmission, or else contagion takes place between pa...Continue Reading

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.