Most people who get the disease recover from it and can never get it again. Long-term or chronic illness can lead to liver damage, liver cancer and death. Symptoms can begin as soon as six weeks or as long as six months after contact with the virus. Many people have mild symptoms and some do not notice symptoms at all.
Infants born to infected mothers often become chronic carriers.
Carriers have the virus in their body fluids and can infect their families, housemates, and sex partners. Health care workers who get stuck by used needles can get infected. Pregnant women who have the virus in their blood can pass it to their babies while giving birth. Sharing a toothbrush, razor, or anything else that might have blood on it can also spread the virus. People can be infected with hepatitis B without ever knowing how they got it.