Hepatitis is liver inflammation. Although hepatitis can be a sign of a variety of conditions, including autoimmune disorders, it is most commonly caused by a viral infection. A, B, C, D, and E are the five primary forms of viral hepatitis According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the most frequent forms in the United States are hepatitis A, B, and C. (CDC).

Viral hepatitis may go away without therapy in some situations, but in others, the virus may remain in the body and produce a persistent infection.

Symptoms

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, some patients with hepatitis experience no symptoms (NIDDK).

• jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

• abdominal pain

• loss of appetite

• nausea and vomiting

• diarrhea

Causes

According to the World Health Organization, hepatitis can be caused by drugs, alcohol, or other poisons, infection with bacteria, viruses, or parasites, or when the body erroneously attacks the liver (autoimmune disease). The most common cause of the disease is hepatitis viruses.

According to the WHO, Hepatitis A and E are acute (short-term) viral illnesses that are typically spread by contaminated food or drink. Raw or undercooked food, food handled by persons who have not washed their hands properly, and water polluted by animal or human feces are the principal origins of the hepatitis A and E viruses.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis E is uncommon in the United States but widespread in other parts of the world. According to the NIDDK, Hepatitis B is transferred by contact with infected blood, sexual contact with an infected person, or during childbirth, when the virus can be passed from mother to child.

According to the CDC, Hepatitis C is primarily transmitted through contact with infected people’s blood. When people share needles to inject drugs, they may come into contact with each other. Hepatitis C can be transmitted through sex or delivery less frequently.

Hepatitis D is likewise transmitted by blood contact. However, infections occur only when someone is simultaneously afflicted with hepatitis B. According to the NIDDK, injection drug users are the most at risk for this type of hepatitis.