Hepatitis B virus infection has obvious familial aggregation, which is most related to mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B. In the absence of mother-to-child interruption, 60% of children born to mothers with hepatitis B will be infected with hepatitis B.
Also, hepatitis B is thought to be spread through close personal contact.
For example, some children got hepatitis B from their father, and some cousins with hepatitis B got hepatitis B because they played together since childhood. Some literature found that these children were not born with hepatitis B virus infection, and their infection was obviously acquired the day after tomorrow.
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1. Why can hepatitis B spread through close contact?
The close contact transmission of hepatitis B is actually the transmission of microtrauma in life. Studies have shown that sharing water glasses will not cause hepatitis B virus transmission, but sharing toothbrushes may lead to hepatitis B virus infection. This is because toothbrushes can cause microtrauma to the gums, which is actually blood-borne.
However, this exposure to microtrauma transmission occurs mainly in young children because their immune systems are not yet robust enough to effectively defend against HBV entry; in adults The probability of infection through microtrauma is very small.
2. Young children can block mother-to-child transmission by vaccination with immunoglobulin + hepatitis B vaccine
Mother-to-child transmission is the main route of transmission of hepatitis B in my country. For children born to hepatitis B mothers, not only passive immunization with hepatitis B immune globulin within 24 hours of birth, but also a dose of hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours, 1 month and 6 months of birth for active immunization . 95% of young children vaccinated with immune globulin + hepatitis B vaccine can block mother-to-child transmission and avoid becoming a baby with hepatitis B.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
3. Hepatitis B vaccine can help prevent hepatitis B
The way family members can prevent hepatitis B is to get the hepatitis B vaccine. Regardless of whether children or adults, as long as the hepatitis B vaccine is vaccinated, close contact transmission between families is completely preventable.
For spouses of hepatitis B patients, protective measures must be in place, and spouses of hepatitis B patients must be vaccinated against hepatitis B. Only if the spouse has produced surface antibodies, can it be foolproof.
In addition, families of HBV-infected people do not need to divide meals because of HBV, nor do they need to isolate HBV-infected people at home or use disinfectant every day. Because hepatitis B is not transmitted through the digestive tract, nor through mosquito bites. The inexplicable fear of hepatitis B in the family will cause a lot of psychological pressure to the hepatitis B virus infected person, which is neither scientific nor humane.
Image source: Zhanku Hailuo
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