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The hepatitis B virus causes a contagious disease that damages the liver. Hepatitis B is contagious because it can be transferred from person to person through the transfer of body fluids like the blood, semen or another body fluid. Sexual contacts or sharing of needs or syringes with an infected person can transfer the disease to a healthy person.

If Hepatits B manifests itself as a short term illness within the first six months of contracting the hepatitis B virus, the infection is called the Acute Hepatitis B infection. Acute infection may or may not lead to chronic infection. Chronic hepatits B is a serious disease that can cause life long health problems and even death when the Hepatitis B virus stays in the body for a long term.

Yes. Hepatitis B symptoms normally appear after about 3 months of exposure, but they can appear any time between 6 weeks and 6 months after exposure.
Therefore, during the initial days, one may not know about the infection but can shed virus and infect other people.

An infected pregnant mother can pass the hepatitis B infection to her baby.