hepatitis B
noun
Note: The acute form of hepatitis B, a mild illness lasting several weeks to months, may progress to long-term or chronic infection often leading to liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.
called also serum hepatitis
Examples of hepatitis B in a Sentence
Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 5 Feb. 2026
Illinois also broke with federal vaccine recommendations last year, deciding to continue to recommend hepatitis B vaccines for nearly all newborns and to continue to recommend COVID-19 vaccines for all children ages 6 to 23 months.
—Lisa Schencker, Chicago Tribune, 5 Feb. 2026
Some of those risk factors include tobacco use, alcohol consumption, high body mass index, insufficient physical activity, air pollution, ultraviolet radiation and infections like hepatitis B, hepatitis C, Epstein–Barr virus and human papillomavirus, or HPV.
—Sara Moniuszko, USA Today, 4 Feb. 2026
Indeed, about 14% of Gavi's portfolio consists of vaccines that contain thimerosal in multi-dose vials, including the 5 in 1 pentavalent vaccine, the DTP vaccine that protects against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis and the hepatitis B vaccine.
—Gabrielle Emanuel, NPR, 30 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hepatitis B
Cite this Entry
“Hepatitis B.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hepatitis%20B. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
hepatitis B
noun
Note: The acute form of hepatitis B, a mild illness lasting several weeks to months, may progress to long-term or chronic infection often leading to liver damage, liver failure, or liver cancer.
called also homologous serum hepatitis, homologous serum jaundice, serum hepatitis
