Hepatitis B is a serious infection of the
liver caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). B virus is also commonly referred to as herpes
B, monkey B virus, herpesvirus simiae, and herpesvirus B. The virus is found
among macaque monkeys, including rhesus macaques, pig-tailed macaques, and
cynomolgus monkeys (also called crab-eating or long-tailed macaques). Infection
with B virus is extremely rare in humans. When it does occur, the infection can
result in severe brain damage or death if the patient is not treated soon after
exposure.
Hepatitis B can cause acute and chronic conditions in patients. If you've entered a chronic level, this disease could endanger the lives of sufferers. If not treated immediately, chronic hepatitis B pendertia risk of cirrhosis, liver cancer or liver failure.
Hepatitis B is difficult to identify because the symptoms are not immediately felt, and some even did not appear. For this reason, many people do not realize that he had been infected.
Symptoms
associated with B virus infection include
- Vesicular skin lesions (small
blisters) at or near the site of exposure
- Localized neurologic symptoms
(pain, numbness, itching) near the wound site
- Flu-like aches and pains
- Fever and chills
- Headaches lasting more than 24
hours
- Fatigue
- Muscular incoordination
- Shortness of breath
Some common symptoms of
hepatitis B include:
Loss of appetite.
Nausea and vomiting.
Pain in the lower abdomen.
Jaundice(yellow fever) seen from the skin and the whites of the eyes turn
yellow.
Symptoms are similar to the common cold, such as fatigue, body pain, and
headache.
While exposures
that involve unpredictable, potentially aggressive animals are not completely
preventable, adherence to appropriate laboratory and animal facility protocols
will greatly reduce the risk of B virus transmission.
- Work with B virus–susceptible
monkeys should be done using humane restraint methods that reduce the
potential for bites and scratches.
- Proper personal protective equipment,
including a lab coat, gloves, and a face shield, must be used when working
with macaque monkeys.
- Any bites, scratches, or
exposure to the tissues or secretions of macaques must be cleansed
immediately, as detailed in the Recommendations mentioned above.
- Following B virus exposure,
samples from both the exposed human and the implicated macaque should be
sent for B virus diagnostic testing