May 2015

In patients with chronic HBV, the immune system may have very low levels of the virus. When reactivation occurs due to immunosuppression, these viruses begin to replicate again. Common symptoms of this event include inflammation of the liver and elevations of liver enzyme levels in the blood. In some cases, bilirubin levels may rise in response to reactivation of infection.

Skin-to-skin contact is not necessary to spread the virus that is responsible for over 50% of gastroenteritis cases worldwide.