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Hepatitis is an inflammation of
the liver. It is usually caused by viral infections, toxic agents or drugs
but may be an autoimmune response. It is characterized by jaundice,
abdominal pain, liver enlargement and sometimes fever. It may be mild, or
can be acute leading to fulminant hepatitis. Other forms usually viral or
alcoholic are chronic, and can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer.
There are many forms of viral hepatitis although they can have similar
symptoms. The only way to discover if you have viral hepatitis and which
variety you have is through blood tests. Liver function tests can give an
indication of how much inflammation there is, and other tests can determine
which virus is responsible.
The disease known as hepatitis B is caused by the infectious Hepatitis B
virus (HBV). World wide, it is estimated that there are over 350 million
hepatitis B carriers which represents 5% of the worlds population. HBV is
responsible for killing about one million people a year. It is estimated
that 10 to 30 million people become infected with the virus each year. The
virus is very common in Asia, China, Philippines, China, Africa and the
Middle East. In Europe and North America the incidence of known carriers is
about 1 in a 1000 people.
Centers for Disease Control estimates there are approximately 280,000 HBV
infections each year in the U.S. Approximately 8,700 health care workers
each year contract hepatitis B and about 200 will die as a result. In
addition, some who contract HBV will become carriers, passing the disease on
to others. Carriers also face a significantly higher risk for other liver
ailments which can be fatal, including cirrhosis of the liver and primary
liver cancer.
HBV infection is transmitted through exposure to blood and other infectious
body fluids and tissues. Anyone with occupational exposure to blood is at
risk of contracting the infection. It is also known to be transmitted by
sexual intercourse and intravenous drug use.
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meets OSHA requirements (Boodborne Pathogen Standard) for decontamination of
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