Quick Answer

Hepatitis B is a viral liver infection that can be acute or chronic. The acute course lasts up to six months; many adults clear the virus, but some develop chronic infection, especially if infected as infants or young children. Chronic hepatitis B can be silent for years and may lead to cirrhosis or liver cancer, so monitoring and treatment with antivirals may be needed.

  • Hepatitis A spreads fecal-orally and usually causes only acute, self-limited illness.
  • Hepatitis B spreads through blood, sex, and childbirth, and can become chronic.
  • Hepatitis C spreads mainly through blood and often becomes chronic without treatment.
  • Acute hepatitis B lasts less than six months; chronic means the virus persists longer.
  • Infants and young children are more likely to develop chronic hepatitis B.
  • Vaccination prevents hepatitis B and is recommended for many groups.

Context Most Pages Skip

Hepatitis simply means inflammation of the liver, but the viruses labeled A, B, and C are unrelated and behave differently. Hepatitis B is a DNA virus that enters the bloodstream and travels to liver cells, where it can trigger immune-mediated damage. The course depends on how long the virus remains detectable: acute infection clears within six months, while chronic infection persists because the immune system does not fully eliminate the virus. Understanding this distinction matters because chronic hepatitis B is the form linked to long-term liver scarring, whereas hepatitis A never becomes chronic and hepatitis C follows its own path.

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⚕️ This page is educational and does not replace advice from a licensed clinician. If you may have been exposed to an STI, get tested — most infections are manageable, and many are fully curable.

Sources & Further Reading

Figures reflect CDC surveillance and WHO estimates; they are population statistics, not personal risk predictions.