Hepatitis B

At a glance

Vaccine preventable – check who it’s recommended for
Nationally notifiable disease

About hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver.

Some people with acute hepatitis B recover without treatment as their body clears the virus. This happens for 95% of people who get the virus during adulthood.

Other people can develop a chronic infection which lasts for more than 6 months. About 90% of people who get hepatitis B as a baby or young child will develop chronic hepatitis B.

Over time, chronic hepatitis B can damage the liver and cause serious disease, including primary liver cancer.

Most people with hepatitis B don’t have symptoms until the liver is damaged, so testing people who might be at greater risk is important.

Rarely, people with hepatitis B also get hepatitis D. You can only get hepatitis D if you have hepatitis B. Hepatitis D is caused by a different virus.

Why it matters to public health

Hepatitis B is the most common bloodborne virus in Australia.

There is no cure, but it is preventable.

Certain groups continue to be disproportionately impacted by hepatitis B.

Australia is working to eliminate hepatitis B as a public health challenge by 2030, by:

monitoring and reporting on hepatitis B in Australia
implementing national strategies.

Read more about the public health response to hepatitis B in the hepatitis B national guidelines for public health units.

Disease patterns

More than 220,000 people in Australia live with chronic hepatitis B.

We have reduced the spread and impacts of hepatitis B in Australia through:

vaccination of babies and young children
testing pregnant people and those likely to be exposed to the virus
regular monitoring and treatment for people with chronic infection.

Unfortunately, 1 in 3 people living with chronic hepatitis B infection in Australia don’t know they have it and miss out on regular care. This increases their risk of serious health complications.

Symptoms

If you’re looking for advice about your own health or treatment options, see healthdirect or speak with a qualified healthcare professional. Our role is to provide public health advice – information and guidance that helps prevent disease, protect communities and improve wellbeing at a population level.

Many people with acute hepatitis B infection don’t get symptoms.

For those who get symptoms, they can last for weeks to months and might include:

jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
dark urine
nausea
vomiting
extreme fatigue
loss of appetite
abdominal pain
fever.

After many years, some people with chronic hepatitis B infection develop liver damage and serious complications, including:

About 1 in 4 people with chronic infection die from these complications.

As most people don’t have symptoms until the liver is damaged, infections can go unnoticed for decades. That’s why testing is important.

healthdirect’s symptom checker can help you decide whether to see a health professional and request testing for hepatitis B.

Check your symptoms

Onset of symptoms

If symptoms of acute hepatitis B appear, they usually start between 1 and 4 months after infection.

Symptoms of liver damage from chronic hepatitis B can take years to develop.

How it spreads

The hepatitis B virus is highly infectious and spreads through blood-to-blood contact and certain other body fluids, such as semen and vaginal fluids.

Spread most often happens:

from a pregnant person to their baby during birth
through unprotected vaginal, oral or anal sex
by sharing injecting drug equipment, including needles and syringes.

It can also spread through:

needlestick injuries
unsterile tattooing, piercing, cosmetic or medical procedures
contact with open sores or broken skin
sharing personal items where blood is present
receiving unscreened blood transfusions or organ transplants in some overseas countries.

Australia has screened all blood and related products since the early 1990s, so the risk of infection from blood transfusions is extremely low.

Hepatitis B virus does not spread through sharing food or casual contact.

Infectious period

People with acute hepatitis B are infectious until their body clears the infection.

People with symptoms are usually infectious from several weeks before symptoms begin until about 4 or 5 months later.

People with chronic hepatitis B infection are almost always infectious for their lifetime, even when they don’t have symptoms.

Prevention

Vaccination

Get vaccinated

Vaccination is the best protection against hepatitis B.

The Australian Immunisation Handbook recommends hepatitis B vaccination for:

babies
children and adolescents who have missed a dose of hepatitis B-containing vaccine
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
people who are immunocompromised
people with some medical conditions
people in certain occupations
people who travel to areas where hepatitis B is common
certain other people who are at greater risk of exposure.

Babies can get hepatitis B vaccines for free under the National Immunisation Program or state or territory programs. All newborns are eligible to receive their first dose of hepatitis B vaccination shortly after birth, with further doses at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months.

Eligible people aged under 20 years and refugees and other humanitarian entrants of any age can get a free catch-up vaccination. If you are not eligible for a free vaccine, you can buy one from your healthcare professional or pharmacy.

Read more about vaccination recommendations in the Australian Immunisation Handbook.

Other prevention steps

In addition to vaccination, the best ways to prevent hepatitis B infection are to:

get tested during pregnancy, especially if you have ever been at greater risk of exposure
never share needles, syringes or other equipment
use condoms and other barrier methods during sex
not share items such as razors, toothbrushes or other personal items
always use sterile equipment for body piercing, tattoos or cosmetic procedures.

If you think you have had contact with the virus, seek medical help quickly. There are medicines that can lower the risk of infection in certain situations, if you receive them within 3 days.

The best ways to prevent complications from infection are to:

get tested if you might have been exposed to the virus, including regular testing if the exposure is ongoing
if diagnosed with hepatitis B, attend regular check-ups to monitor for liver disease – even before symptoms appear.

Priority groups

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are more likely to be diagnosed with hepatitis B. This is driven by the enduring impacts of colonisation, racism and inequity that have led to higher infection risk and barriers to culturally safe care.

People who might be at greater risk of getting hepatitis B should speak to a health professional about getting tested. Some groups are at greater risk of developing chronic hepatitis B due to increased risk of exposure or inequitable access to prevention, monitoring and treatment.

People at greater risk of severe disease

Chronic hepatitis B might pose a greater risk of severe illness for:

babies and young children who get hepatitis B before the age of 5 years
people with other chronic liver diseases
people with hepatitis C
people who are immunocompromised
people living with HIV
people with hepatitis D coinfection or superinfection.

People at greater risk of exposure

People at greater risk of getting hepatitis B include those who:

were born to someone with hepatitis B
were born in a country where hepatitis B is more common
have shared needles, syringes and other injecting drug equipment
have had unprotected sex with someone with hepatitis B
have lived with or had other close contact with someone with hepatitis B
have been in custodial settings
received a blood transfusion or organ transplant before 1990 (or more recently in some low- or middle- income countries)
have travelled to areas where hepatitis B is more common

Diagnosis and treatment

You can use healthdirect’s directory to find a health service near you.

Find a health service

Healthcare professionals can diagnose hepatitis B through blood tests.

There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. Health professionals usually treat patients with supportive care.

Health professionals monitor people with chronic hepatitis B for liver damage. Health professionals might prescribe medication for some people to help prevent serious liver problems.

Search for hepatitis B medicine prescribers near you.

People living with chronic hepatitis B should talk to their doctor about testing for hepatitis D.

HepLink Australia provides confidential, free and localised viral hepatitis support to callers anywhere in Australia.

Surveillance and reporting

Hepatitis B is a nationally notifiable disease as it poses a risk to public health.

Health authorities in each state and territory report cases to us through the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System.

This is part of national surveillance to monitor case numbers and understand disease patterns.

Use our data visualisation tool to search the latest data.

Read the hepatitis B surveillance case definition for newly acquired and unspecified infections.

Support

For more information about hepatitis B from community organisations, see:

For information about hepatitis B from your state or territory government, see:

If you need mental health support, see a list of organisations, websites and services that offer support, counselling and information.

For information on staying safe from hepatitis B while travelling, see:

Smartraveller
information about travel vaccinations
preventing infectious diseases while travelling.

Key resources

Read more resources on hepatitis B for professionals:

Australian Immunisation Handbook
CDNA National guidelines for public health units
CDNA surveillance case definition for newly acquired and unspecified infections
PHLN laboratory case definition
Fourth National Hepatitis B Strategy 2025–2030

Hepatitis B

At a glance

About hepatitis B

Why it matters to public health

Disease patterns