Elgouhari Hesham M, Abu-Rajab Tamimi Tarek I, Carey William D
University of South Dakota School of Medicine, SD, USA.
Cleve Clin J Med. 2008 Dec;75(12):881-9. doi: 10.3949/ccjm.75a.07019.
Although hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is not as common in the United States as in some countries, 5000 Americans die from it every year. This number can be significantly decreased with proper screening and by vaccinating people at risk. Internists should be aware of the natural history of HBV infection, a vital prerequisite to correctly assessing disease severity and subsequently determining the need for antiviral therapy.
尽管乙肝病毒（HBV）感染在美国不像在某些国家那样常见，但每年仍有5000名美国人死于该病。通过适当的筛查和对高危人群进行疫苗接种，这一数字可大幅降低。内科医生应了解HBV感染的自然史，这是正确评估疾病严重程度并随后确定是否需要抗病毒治疗的重要前提条件。
