We ask readers for their understanding that, for reasons of readability and the volume of the book, male and female dual designations for individuals have been omitted in the main text. We hope that the design of the table of contents and chapter headings makes it clear that we are aware of the issue of linguistic equality, but for the reasons mentioned above, we have opted for the present version.

Introduction

Viral hepatitis is one of the most significant viral infections worldwide. One million Europeans are infected annually with the hepatitis B virus alone. In the Federal Republic of Germany, there are approximately 20,000 to 30,000 new cases expected. Additionally, about 50% of infections are asymptomatic, meaning they do not manifest as an acute illness, leading to an estimated 50,000 new infections each year.