Symptoms

Only some people with hepatitis B experience symptoms, which usually developtwo or threemonths afterexposure to the hepatitis B virus.

Many peopleinfected in adulthood won'texperience any symptoms and will fight off the infection without realising they had it.

However, they'll still be able to pass the virus on to others while they're infected.

This is known as acute hepatitis B and rarely causes any serious problems.

Occasionally, the infection can last for six months or more. This is known as chronic hepatitis B.

Chronic hepatitis Bmainly affects babies and young children who get hepatitis B. It's much less common in peoplewho become infected later in childhood or when they're an adult.

The symptomsof chronic hepatitis B are the same as those mentioned above, but they tend to be quite mild and may come and go. Some people may not have any noticeable symptoms.

However,without treatment, people with chronic hepatitis B can develop problems such asscarring of the liver (cirrhosis) .

and complications of hepatitis B .