Hepatitis B is an infection in the liver that is caused by the hepatitis B virus.
Up to 1 out of 10 adults who get infected with hepatitis B will develop an infection that does not go away (chronic infection).
The younger you are when you get hepatitis B, the higher the chance of having a chronic infection. For example, more than 9 out of 10 babies who are infected with hepatitis B will have a chronic infection.
If you have a chronic hepatitis B infection, you have it forever. You can spread it to others, even if you do not look or feel sick.
A chronic hepatitis B infection can lead to liver damage (cirrhosis), liver cancer, and death.
Around the world each year, about 600,000 people die from hepatitis B-related disease.
Learn more about hepatitis B.