My husband's young cousin contracted Hep B "horizontally" through living with someone who was Hep B positive (and they did not know it). Hep B has been spread by saliva (spit in the eye even) and can be spread from person to person in a househol
. up to 30% of Hep B positive individuals did not have a risk factor for contracting the disease. I just wanted to put this out there because I think it does people like my husband's family member a disservice to simply boil down this disease to one of STDs, dirtiness and drugs. they suspect the caregiver living with them contracted it through a blood transfusion but they just don't know, and they were unaware of her status (as was she) until it was too late. I do not know about this theory as she would have to have been a very rare carrier case...but, then again, it's rare all around.
I would not say go get the vaccine. I just wanted to put this story out there because it does kinda get me when I see the disease being cut and dry...putting people into categories that they don't belong in. He's a great kid and I can assure you he isn't into premarital sex, drugs or anything like that. and they are a devoutly catholic family.
And not to mention that certain groups the transmission is 90+% familial either horizontal or vertical. I personally know 10 people who have contracted Hep B that way.
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