hepatitis B

American  

noun

Pathology.

1. a form of hepatitis caused by a DNA virus hepatitis B virus, or HBV that persists in the blood, characterized by a long incubation period: usually transmitted by sexual contact or by injection or ingestion of infected blood or other bodily fluids.

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hepatitis B British  

noun

1. Former name: serum hepatitis.  a form of hepatitis caused by a virus transmitted by infected blood (as in transfusions), contaminated hypodermic needles, sexual contact, or by contact with any other body fluid

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Etymology

Origin of hepatitis B

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

For example, the panel no longer recommends that all newborns in the United States receive a hepatitis B vaccine, a highly infectious disease that can lead to incurable liver damage.

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

A sizeable portion of Guinea-Bissau's population is estimated to have hepatitis B, and the WHO says vaccination at birth prevents the virus being transmitted from mother to baby in 70-95% of cases.

From BBC • Feb. 14, 2026

When the U.S. first implemented vaccination doses at birth beginning in 1991, hepatitis B infections in American children plummeted by 99%.

From Salon • Jan. 21, 2026

Since the hepatitis B vaccine was universally recommended at birth in the early 1990s, the number of newborns infected with the virus each year has fallen to about 20 from 20,000.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 6, 2026

Researchers around the world were working to develop a vaccine for hepatitis B, and doing so required a steady supply of antibodies like Slavin’s, which pharmaceutical companies were willing to pay large sums for.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot