Hepatitis B Virus Essays -- Essays Paper

Hepatitis B virus Characteristics Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) is a double-stranded DNA virus in the Hepadnaviridae family. The morbific particle is 42nm in diameter, with a genome 3200 nucleotides long. It has an outer envelope and an icosahedral nucleocapsid, which contains viral DNA polymerase and has a diameter of 27nm. The envelope contains the HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) this is the molecule to which anti-HBV antibodies be directed. The non- pathogenic hepatitis B particles are composed of HBsAg only and come in the influence of filaments and spheres. Their only likely purpose is binding up antibodies so the infectious particles chamberpot remain free. In humans HBV infects hepatocytes where it replicates within the nucleus, but scum bag also be found in smooth muscle, bone marrow, kidneys, thyroidal glands and other sites. Infection HBV is usually transmitted from blood to blood and can be contracted via infected needles (IV drugs and tattoos), sexual co ntact, cuts, hemodialysis, vertical transmission at birth and blood transfusions. In developed countries blood is screened for the presence of HBsAg forrader transfusion. Unlike other forms of viral hepatitis, HBV cannot be transmitted by pollute food or water. The CDC states that preventive measures for HBV infection are similar to those for HIV. diagnosis of HBV can be made by the presence of HBsAg, which can be found in the serum a few weeks before invasion of illness. The anti-HBsAg antibody is found weeks to months after infection and can last, in some cases adult life-long immunity. Hepatitis B is found mostly in Africa, Southeast Asia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and parts of the Caribbean. In those areas all socioeconomic groups are af... ...d/slide_1.htmhttp//www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003243.htmhttp//www.merck.com/pubs/mmanual/section4/chapter47/47c.htmhttp//www.globalserve.net/ dapple/HBV/hbvcore.htmhttp//www.globalserve.net/harlequin/HBV/hbvx .htmhttp//www.globalserve.net/harlequin/HBV/hbsags.htmhttp//www.foodallergy.org/anaphylaxis.htmlhttp//www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00033405.htmhttp//depts.washington.edu/druginfo/Vaccine/HealthDept/ImmuneGlobulin.htmlhttp//www.livertransplant.org/livernewsletterselectingcandidatesforlivertransplantation.html http//www.ias.org.nz/hepatitis_b_vaccine.htmhttp//yourlawyer.com/practice/overview.htm?topic=Hepatitis%20B%20Vaccinehttp//www.comeunity.com/adoption/health/hepatitis/hep_photo2.htmlhttp//www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ICTVdb/Images/Safrica/hbvcore3.htmhttp//livertransplant.org/