Why can hepatitis B become a long-term infection?
Quick Answer
The hepatitis B virus can persist because it can establish a stable genetic form in liver cells and evade complete immune clearance. Infections acquired at birth or in early childhood are especially likely to become chronic.
The Full Story
Hepatitis B is unusually good at persisting in the liver because it can leave behind a durable form of viral DNA in infected cells. Adults often clear the infection, but babies and young children are much more likely to develop chronic hepatitis B after exposure. Chronic infection can lead over time to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Vaccination of newborns and infants has been one of the most effective ways to prevent lifelong infection. The hepatitis B vaccine is a major public-health success story introduced in the early 1980s.
Key Facts
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