Hepatitis B is a viral liver
infection that affects more than two billion people worldwide. The virus is blood-borne
and fluid-transmitted, and inflames the liver, causing vomiting and occasional
death.
An Antibiotic or
Antibacterial is any substance that attacks or breaks down living
bacterial cells. These substances do not need to be organic in nature. Most human-used
Antibiotics are produced synthetically in laboratories, and are derived from substances
that were originally produced by microorganisms. A famous example is
Penicillin, which is produced by the
Penicillium fungus. Antibiotics are used as a selective poison to
kill some bacteria but not others.
Because Hepatitis B is a
Virus, it is unaffected by Antibiotics. A virus is not a living
cell or organism but a piece of DNA or RNA,
functioning by inserting itself into cells and rewriting their DNA or RNA structure.
Viruses have no metabolism and cannot reproduce without cells to invade. There is
nothing to "kill," so Antibiotics are not effective; viruses don't have the biological
structures that Antibiotics attack. In fact, taking Antibiotics while suffering any
viral infection can both kill beneficial bacteria, like Gut Flora,
and create Antibiotic-Resistant Strains of harmful
bacteria.
The current accepted methods of controlling
Hepatitis B include Vaccination, which prepares the immune system
to fight with a weakened strain of virus; Prophylactic Prevention
to avoid spreading the disease with sexual contact; Antiviral
Drugs, which have a limited effect; and Time, because
most healthy adults live through the infection with minimal liver damage. However, the
virus persists in the body and reactivates in about half of all
cases.
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