title: Hepatitis B: the pathway to recovery through treatment.
abstract: Hepatitis B is a major public health problem in the world today. Since 1985, the number of reported cases has declined as a direct result of universal immunization of neonates, vaccination of at-risk populations, lifestyle or behavioral changes in high-risk groups, refinements in the screening of blood donors, and the use of virally inactivated or genetically engineered products in patients with bleeding disorders. New and potent antiviral agents being developed and evaluated provide hope and optimism for those who are chronically infected with hepatitis B virus. Prevention remains the most effective strategy in the global management of hepatitis B virus. Universal immunization programs prevent hepatitis B virus transmission and circumvent acute and chronic infection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Eugene B. Casey Hepatitis Research Center and Diagnostic Laboratory, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, BCM-385, Houston, TX 77030-3498, USA. blaineh@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: F Blaine
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Hollinger
authors.forename: Daryl T-Y
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Lau
mesh_terms: D000225:Adenine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024882:Drug Resistance, Viral; D006147:Guanine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D063065:Organophosphonates / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D063065:Organophosphonates; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine; C413685:entecavir; D006147:Guanine; D000225:Adenine; C106812:adefovir dipivoxil