Transfer via other body fluids

Saliva is produced by the salivary glands in the head and consists mainly of salts and water. Only very few viruses enter the saliva during its production. The small number is usually not enough to infect a person. Other body fluids such as urine, tear secretion or breast milk also contain virus particles, but only in very few patients in relevant quantities to cause infection.

Transfer by kissing

When kissing a person suffering from hepatitis B, the patient’s saliva comes into contact with the oral mucosa. Since there are only very few virus particles in the saliva, there is no need to be afraid of getting infected. In addition, the oral mucosa is strong, but not as well supplied with blood as the genital mucosa during sexual intercourse. Caution should only be exercised in the case of very large open wounds.

Transmission via blood contact or blood preserves

Since the hepatitis B virus can be present in the blood in high numbers, especially at the beginning of the disease, hepatitis B can be transmitted by blood contact. The blood of the infected person must come directly into contact with the bloodstream of the other person. This can be transmitted via wounds or needlestick injuries, where the disease is transmitted by a needle prick with which blood was taken from a sick person.

Blood transfusions also involve direct contact between the blood of two people. In the past, people who received a blood transfusion were occasionally infected with hepatitis B. Nowadays, however, every donor sample is thoroughly tested for many diseases, including hepatitis B. Therefore, in Germany blood transfusions are no longer a cause of hepatitis B infection. The same applies to the transplantation of liver(parts).

Drug addiction as a cause

Drug addiction can also be a cause of hepatitis B infection in some cases. Whenever the blood of one person with hepatitis B comes into direct contact with the bloodstream of another, the disease can be transmitted. This often happens with drug addicts who inject drugs into their blood with needles that have already been used.Because the risk of infection is so high, there are more infected people in these circles, which in turn increases the risk of infection through shared needle use. When sharing a joint or similar, however, there is no risk of becoming infected with hepatitis B, just as there is no risk of saliva contact.