What are the differences between chronic and acute hepatitis b?

Timing: Acute hepatitis b occurs after a new infection (ie. A needle stick). If infected as an adult, 95% of cases of acute hepatitis will be self-limiting and resolve without treatment. Chronic infection is when the virus has been present for > 6 months.

Time: As implied by the names, acute hepatitis b is the illness syndrome when you are first exposed to hepatitis b. This includes abdominal pain, GI disturbance, fever, flu like symptoms, and sometimes jaundice. Hepatitis b can be deadly. Chronic hep b is the long term disease which may cause nothing, may cause some mild abdominal symptoms, and then may lead to full blown cirrhosis and inflammation.