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| Division of Public Health Services Disease Handbook for Childcare Providers | |
| Bureau of Infectious Disease Control REVISED –January 2018 | |
| HEPATITIS B | |
| Hepatitis B is a disease primarily of the liver caused | |
| by the hepatitis B virus. | |
| Who gets this disease? | |
| In the United States, hepatitis B is primarily a | |
| disease of young adults. Children can be infected | |
| during childbirth if the mother has the virus in her | |
| blood. | |
| How is it spread? | |
| Only blood, semen, vaginal fluids and saliva have | |
| been shown to be infectious. Most cases are | |
| transmitted by blood (i.e., getting blood from an | |
| infected person into the open skin or the eye, nose | |
| or mouth of anot her person), or through sexual | |
| contact. Note: salivary transmission has rarely | |
| occurred and generally through bites . The Hepatitis | |
| virus can live on the surface of objects for 7 days or | |
| more. | |
| What are the signs and symptoms? | |
| Hepatitis B signs and sympto ms include loss of | |
| appetite, tiredness, abdominal pain, nausea, | |
| vomiting, and sometimes rash or joint pain. | |
| Jaundice (yellowing of eyes or skin), may be | |
| present in adults but it is often absent in children. | |
| Symptoms vary from none at all to severe illness. | |
| Can a person have this disease without | |
| knowing it? | |
| Yes. Some people may not have the illness serious | |
| enough to seek medical attention. People who | |
| contract hepatitis B may become chronic carriers of | |
| the virus and continue to be infectious for life | |
| especially if they are infected as young children. | |
| What is the treatment? | |
| No medical treatment is effective for acute hepatitis | |
| B. Most adults recover from hepatitis B without | |
| intervention. | |
| How can the spread of this disease be | |
| prevented? | |
| 1. Hepatitis B vacci ne is required for all | |
| children in childcare and school attendance | |
| for all children born after January 1, 1993. | |
| The Advisory Committee on Immunization | |
| Practices (ACIP), recommends immunizing | |
| children against hepatitis B. The three dose | |
| series should be completed at birth, 1- 2 | |
| months of age, and 6- 18 months of age. | |
| (Please see Immunization requirements page | |
| for adult immunization recommendations). | |
| 2. Standard precautions should be in effect at | |
| all times. Disposable gloves should be used | |
| when dealing with an y bodily fluids | |
| (blood/body fluid- soiled items, surfaces or | |
| clothing), when administering first aid (nose | |
| bleeds, cuts, scrapes, etc). | |
| 3. Disinfect surfaces and objects that are | |
| contaminated with blood or other body | |
| fluids containing visible blood. One -part | |
| bleach to 10 parts of water can be used as a | |
| disinfectant for cleaning contaminated | |
| surfaces. The bleach mixture must be | |
| changed daily. | |
| 4. Wash hands immediately after contact with | |
| blood or other body fluids containing visible | |
| blood, even if gloves have been worn. | |
| Who should be excluded? | |
| Children and staff who have the hepatitis B virus in | |
| their blood may attend and/or work in childcare and | |
| schools. Hepatitis B carrier children with risk | |
| factors (e.g., biting, frequent scratching, generalized | |
| dermatitis) sh ould be assessed for exclusion on an | |
| individual basis. | |
| Reportable? | |
| Yes. Hepatitis B is reportable by New Hampshire | |
| law to the Division of Public Health Services, | |
| Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at (603) 271- | |
| 4496. | |