HEPATITIS B
| Causative organism | Hepatitis B virus |
| Incubation period | 45-180 days (mean 60 days) |
| How far back to trace | 6 months prior to onset of acute symptoms |
| Usual testing method | Serology for hepatitis B |
| Common symptoms | Jaundice, malaise, abdominal pain, dark urine |
| Likelihood of transmission per act of unprotected intercourse | Unknown |
| Likelihood of long-term sexual partner being infected | >20% |
| Protective effect of condoms | High |
| Transmission by oral sex | Low |
| Duration of potential infectivity | Two weeks before onset of symptomsand until the patient becomes surface antigen negative; lifelong if chronic infection |
| Important sequelae | Severe, acute hepatitis, chronic liver disease, cirrhosis and liver cancer |
| Direct benefit of detection and treatment of contacts | Passive and active immunisation against hepatitis B or detection and management of hepatitis B infection |
| Usual management of contacts |
Counselling and testing (up to 12 weeks after exposure) |
| Contact tracing priority | High for sexual contacts, needle-sharing contacts, a newborn child of an infected mother, and household and close contacts if any risk exposures |
| Notification | Acute viral hepatitis B is notifiable by doctors in all Australian states and territories, and New Zealand Hepatitis B surface antigen-positive results must be notified by laboratories in NSW |
| Note: Hepatitis D virus (delta agent) is a deficient virus that is entirely dependent on concurrent hepatitis B infection. Measures to control hepatitis B should control HDV. | |