Hepatitis B is the most common serious liver infection in the world. It is caused by the hepatitis B virus, which attacks the liver. The virus is transmitted through blood and infected bodily fluids. This can occur through direct blood-to-blood contact, unprotected sex, use of unsterile needles, and from an infected woman to her newborn during the delivery process.

The good news is that there is a simple blood test to find out if you have been infected. Sinovac has developed Bilive^TM, a safe and effective vaccine to protect you and your loved ones against hepatitis A and B. Finally, there are promising new treatments available for those who have developed chronic hepatitis B infections.

The hepatitis B virus is a small DNA virus that belongs to the Hepadnaviridae family of viruses. The hepatitis B virus causes hepatitis B in humans. Related viruses in this family cause hepatitis in ducks, ground squirrels and woodchucks.

The hepatitis B virus contains an inner core and outer envelope. There is an outer shell (or envelope) composed of protein that is termed "surface antigen" or "HBsAg". The surface antigen is generally produced in vast amounts, and the hepatitis B blood tests can detect this portion of the virus in the blood of infected individuals.
The outer shell surrounds an inner protein shell that is referred to as the core particle or "HBcAg", which contains the viral DNA and enzymes used in viral replication (called "DNA polymerase").

Statistics:
90% of infants and up to 50% of young children infected with hepatitis B will develop chronic infections. Therefore, vaccination is essential to protect infants and children.

Hepatitis B is 100 times more infectious than the AIDS virus, yet it can be prevented Bilive^TM. For the 400 million people worldwide who are already chronically infected with hepatitis B, vaccines are of no use.

The future, however, is much brighter with the current advances in drug development and treatment options.

Hepatitis B In the World
2 billion people have been infected (1 out of 3 people).
400 million people are chronically infected.
10-30 million will become infected each year.
An estimated 1 million people die each year from hepatitis B and its complications.
Approximately 2 people die each minute from hepatitis B.

High Risk Groups

• Health care workers and emergency personnel
• Infants born to mothers who are infected at the time of delivery
• Partners or individuals living in close household contact with an infected person
• Individuals with multiple sex partners, past or present
• Individuals who have been diagnosed with a sexually transmitted disease
• Illicit drug users (injecting, inhaling, snorting, popping pills)
• Men who have sex with men
• Individuals who received a blood transfusion prior to 1992
• Individuals who get tattoos or body piercing
• Individuals who travel to countries where hepatitis B is common (Asia, Africa, South America, the Pacific Islands, Eastern Europe, and the Middle East)
• Individuals emigrating from countries where hepatitis B is common, or born to parents who emigrated from these countries (see above)
• Families adopting children from countries where hepatitis B is common (see above)
• Individuals with early kidney disease or undergoing kidney dialysis
• Individuals who use blood products for medical conditions (i.e. hemophilia)
• Residents and staff of correctional facilities and group homes

The Relationship between HBV and Liver Cancer - A Silent Killer

• The greatest health disparity between Asian Americans and Caucasian Americans is liver cancer, 80% of which is caused by chronic hepatitis B virus infection;
• In Asian and Pacific Islander men living in California, liver cancer ranks as a leading cause of cancer death: #1 in Laotian Americans, #2 in Vietnamese and Cambodian Americans, #4 in Chinese and Korean Americans, and #5 in Filipino Americans;
• One out of 4 people with chronic hepatitis B virus infection who became chronically infected during childhood (in other words, approximately 100 million of the 400 million chronic HBV infected people in the world) will die of HBV-related liver cancer or cirrhosis;
• Liver cancer is often fatal because when the cancer is small, there are no symptoms and thus, the diagnosis is generally made quite late;
• Liver cancer can occur in those with chronic HBV infection without cirrhosis; the risk is higher with cirrhosis, in men (3:1 male to female ratio), and with a family history of liver cancer;
• Liver cancer usually develops between 35 and 65 years of age, when people are maximally productive and with family responsibilities.;
• An estimated 550,000 people each year die of liver cancer; 360,000 deaths each year are from countries in Eastern Asia alone (China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea);
• Liver cancer is one of the top three causes of death by cancer in most of Asia, the Pacific, and sub-Saharan Africa, and at least 80% of liver cancer is caused by HBV. Worldwide, liver cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men, although uncommon in North America and Europe.