hepatitis B

Definition of hepatitis B

: an acute or chronic hepatitis that is caused by a DNA virus (species Hepatitis B virus of the genus Orthohepadnavirus, family Hepadnaviridae), is marked chiefly by fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, darkened urine, jaundice, and joint pain but may be asymptomatic, and is transmitted especially by contact with infected blood (as by transfusion or by sharing contaminated needles in illicit intravenous drug use) or by contact with other infected bodily fluids (such as semen)

Note: The acute form of hepatitis B, a mild illness lasting several weeks to months, may progress to long-term or chronic infection often leading to liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.

— called also serum hepatitis

Examples of hepatitis B in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Some dental patients in Tennessee have been advised to undergo HIV and hepatitis B and C testing after a dentist in the state failed to properly sterilize dental equipment, according to reports. — Fox News, "Tennessee dental patients should get HIV, hepatitis tests after dental equipment not properly sterilized: officials," 18 Dec. 2019 According to the Centers for Disease Control, STDs like herpes, gonorrhea, hepatitis B and trichomoniasis are spreading like wildfire. — Abigail Van Buren, oregonlive, "Dear Abby: Husband uncomfortable with work-place ‘locker room’ talk," 4 Dec. 2019 According to the Centers for Disease Control, STDs like herpes, gonorrhea, hepatitis B and trichomoniasis are spreading like wildfire. — Abigail Van Buren, Twin Cities, "Dear Abby: Boss shrugs off concerns about raunchy talk at work," 4 Dec. 2019 RNA interference can be used to treat some genetic disorders as well as infectious diseases, such as hepatitis B, Fambrough said. — BostonGlobe.com, "Dicerna, which went public in 2014, will receive that much upfront from Swiss pharmaceutical giant Roche to develop drugs to treat chronic hepatitis B. The liver infection afflicts more than 292 million people globally and kills more than 800,000 a year, according to the World Health Organization.," 1 Nov. 2019 Because Brooke was a little sick, at her four-week appointment her pediatrician didn’t give her the second dose of the hepatitis B vaccine she was supposed to get. — Jenni Balck As Told To Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "My Child Can’t Get Vaccinated. Here’s What Life Is Like for Us.," 26 Aug. 2019 On the heels of this scandal came reports from medical professionals who claimed to have developed multiple sclerosis after receiving the hepatitis B vaccine. — Alex Whiting, CNN, "How France is persuading its citizens to get vaccinated," 3 July 2019 Vaccines, which have significantly reduced cases of human papillomavirus, or HPV, and hepatitis B cases, could be an important defense. — Jason Gale | Bloomberg, Washington Post, "Why Sex-Related Infections Are Spreading Again: QuickTake," 7 June 2019 The current vaccine, which principally targets a portion of the virus known as the hepatitis B surface antigen, was introduced in the U.S. in 1989. — Quanta Magazine, "Vaccines Are Pushing Pathogens to Evolve," 10 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hepatitis B.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

21 Dec 2019

Cite this Entry

“Hepatitis B.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hepatitis%20B. Accessed 17 Feb. 2020.

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More Definitions for hepatitis B

hepatitis B

noun

\ -ˈbē

Medical Definition of hepatitis B

: an acute or chronic hepatitis that is caused by a double-stranded DNA virus (species Hepatitis B virus of the genus Orthohepadnavirus, family Hepadnaviridae), is marked chiefly by fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, darkened urine, jaundice, and joint pain but may be asymptomatic, and is transmitted especially by contact with infected blood (as by transfusion or by sharing contaminated needles in illicit intravenous drug use) or by contact with other infected body fluids (as semen)

Note: The acute form of hepatitis B, a mild illness lasting several weeks to months, may progress to long-term or chronic infection often leading to liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.

— called also serum hepatitis