What hepatitis B is and how it spreads
Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver. The virus spreads through blood and other body fluids: from mother to baby during birth, through sex, through unsterile needles and tools (injections, tattoos, manicure equipment), and through shared razors or other items that may carry blood. It does not spread through handshakes, hugs, shared dishes or coughing.
Hepatitis B symptoms
Many people feel nothing after they are infected. When signs do appear, it is usually about six weeks to six months later. Acute hepatitis B can cause fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, dark urine, and yellow skin and eyes (jaundice).
Having no symptoms does not mean the virus is absent. Chronic infection can stay silent for years and is found only with a blood test.
Why hepatitis B matters
The main risk is chronic infection. According to WHO, infection in infancy and early childhood becomes chronic in about 95% of cases, compared with fewer than 5% of infections acquired in adulthood. Over time, chronic inflammation can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer, so people with chronic hepatitis B need regular follow-up even when they feel well.
How hepatitis B is diagnosed
Diagnosis is made with blood tests: the surface antigen (HBsAg), antibodies to the virus, and, when needed, the amount of viral DNA. Liver health is assessed with blood chemistry, ultrasound and elastography. Your doctor decides which tests you need.
Hepatitis B treatment
Acute hepatitis B has no specific drug. Rest, good nutrition and medical monitoring help, and most adults recover. Chronic hepatitis B usually cannot be fully cured, but antiviral medicines suppress the virus, slow the progression to cirrhosis and lower the risk of liver cancer. An infectious disease specialist or hepatologist chooses the treatment, and self-medication is risky.
In Georgia, pregnant women are tested for hepatitis B under a state program, and state health programs partly cover testing and treatment for viral hepatitis. Ask an infectious disease specialist or your polyclinic which conditions apply to you now.
Hepatitis B vaccine in Georgia
The vaccine is the most reliable protection and, according to WHO, gives nearly 100% protection. Under Georgia's national immunization calendar, the first dose is given to a newborn in the maternity hospital within 12 hours of birth, followed by the six-in-one (hexavalent) vaccine, which includes hepatitis B, at 2, 3 and 4 months (Minister's Order No. 01-60/n, version of July 13, 2023). Calendar vaccines are free for children under 18. Adults who were never vaccinated can still get the vaccine: under the state immunization program it is provided to unvaccinated adults and people at high risk. The course has several doses, and a doctor sets the schedule.
Clinics offer products such as Engerix-B (with different strengths for children and adults) and the combined Hexaxim and Infanrix hexa for infants. Vaccine prices at clinics in Georgia are listed further down this page.
Vaccination is especially worth considering for health care workers, people who live with someone carrying the virus, and people with other chronic liver disease. During pregnancy, an HBsAg test helps protect the newborn: if the mother carries the virus, doctors plan measures for the baby in advance. If you may have been exposed to someone else's blood (a needlestick, unprotected sex), see a doctor right away, because protective steps work best in the first hours and days.
Another viral liver infection with a vaccine is hepatitis A. It spreads differently, through dirty hands, water and food.
When to see a doctor urgently
- yellow skin or eyes, dark urine, pale stools;
- severe weakness, repeated vomiting, or being unable to drink;
- drowsiness, confusion, bleeding or a swollen belly;
- a stick from a used needle or contact with a stranger's blood.
