hepatitis B

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Hepatitis B virus (HBV)

Gloved hands draw liquid from a vial into a syringe, overlaid on a digitally colored microscopic image of a virus with round particles in clusters.

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hepatitis B: Facts & Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Apr 25, 2025

Facts

Also Known As	serum hepatitis

Photos and Videos

Hepatitis B virus (HBV)

Gloved hands draw liquid from a vial into a syringe, overlaid on a digitally colored microscopic image of a virus with round particles in clusters.

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Topics

hepatitis B vaccine hepatitis B virus notifiable disease hepatocellular hepatitis bloodborne disease AIDS Ebola yellow fever dengue hepatitis C viral hemorrhagic fever Rift Valley fever

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Key People

Maurice Hilleman

Maurice Hilleman

American microbiologist

Baruch S. Blumberg, 1976.

Baruch S. Blumberg

American physician

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