All except one are true for hepatitis B:

Ans. a. Veical transmission is more impoant than horizontal "According to American journal of gastroenterology, the most common mode of transmission of hepatitis B in the world is horizontal transmission Hepatitis B Virus The mode of transmission of HBV depends upon the prevalence of hepatitis B in the region. Only serum, saliva and semen is truly infectiousQ Children usually acquire infection indirectlyQ, through parenteral route from hepatitis B virus contaminated blood transfusiondeg. Adolescent boys and girls may acquire the virus through sexual contact with an infected paner. HBsAg positive mothers may infect their fetus in third trimester or during early post-paum period. Only 5-10% are infected in utero, rest at the time of deliveryQ. Association of HBeAg in maternal blood is correlated with a high transmission rateQ. HBV Transmission In Endemic areas In areas with Low Prevalence Veical transmissionQ Transmission is generally horizontal(percutaneous, sexualQ) Most individuals are infected perinatallyby veical transmission Prognosis: Most acute infections in hepatitis B produce no symptoms and clears spontaneouslyQ. Only few individuals develop chronic disease or some serious complicationsQ The rate of progression to chronic infection, cirrhosis or HCC depends upon several factors, most impoant of which is age at the time of infection and immune status at the time of infectionQ