What does “hepatitis virus carrier” mean?
Disease description:
Recently, our school organized a physical examination, and one of my classmates was found to have hepatitis—specifically, he was diagnosed as a “hepatitis virus carrier.” What does “hepatitis virus carrier” mean?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Jiang Weimin
Hepatitis virus carriers are individuals who harbor hepatitis viruses. Such carriers typically exhibit no clinical symptoms but can transmit the virus to healthy individuals. In general, antiviral therapy is not recommended for carriers with normal liver function and no evidence of hepatic injury or fibrosis. However, if significant fibrosis, cirrhosis, or other advanced liver disease develops, timely treatment is advised to prevent disease progression and further transmission.
