Which statement about Hepatitis B is false?

Which statement about Hepatitis B is false?

• A. It is a blood-borne disease.
• B. A vaccine is available.
• C. Inflammation of the liver.
• D. Bacteria can survive for over a week on surfaces.

Answer: (D)

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that targets the liver, transmitted through blood and certain body fluids, and there is an effective vaccine. It causes inflammation of the liver, which is how the disease presents. The statement about bacteria surviving on surfaces is the misleading one in this context because Hepatitis B is caused by a virus, not bacteria. The issue isn’t about bacteria; it’s about the infectious agent of Hepatitis B. In fact, the virus can persist outside the body for several days (at least seven) on surfaces and remain capable of causing infection, which is the aspect clinicians emphasize for infection control. So the claim that it’s bacteria surviving on surfaces does not apply to Hepatitis B and is the false statement.

Hepatitis B is a viral infection that targets the liver, transmitted through blood and certain body fluids, and there is an effective vaccine. It causes inflammation of the liver, which is how the disease presents.

The statement about bacteria surviving on surfaces is the misleading one in this context because Hepatitis B is caused by a virus, not bacteria. The issue isn’t about bacteria; it’s about the infectious agent of Hepatitis B. In fact, the virus can persist outside the body for several days (at least seven) on surfaces and remain capable of causing infection, which is the aspect clinicians emphasize for infection control. So the claim that it’s bacteria surviving on surfaces does not apply to Hepatitis B and is the false statement.