Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. It is often caused by a virus. The most common types of are A, B, and C.
Hepatitis A
A is a communicable disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It is usually transmitted person-to-person through the fecal-oral route or consumption of contaminated food or water. It is a self-limited disease that does not result in chronic infection.
Most adults have symptoms, including fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, and jaundice, which usually resolve within 2 months of infection; most children less than 6 years of age do not have symptoms or have an unrecognized infection. Antibodies produced in response to hepatitis A infection last for life and protect against reinfection.
Hepatitis B
This is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The virus is transmitted when blood, semen, or another body fluid from a person infected with the virus enters the body of someone who is not infected. This can happen through sexual contact; sharing needles, syringes, or other drug-injection equipment; or from mother to baby at birth. For some people, it is an acute, or short-term, illness but for others, it can become a long-term, chronic infection.
The risk for chronic infection is related to age at infection: approximately 90% of infected infants become chronically infected, compared with 2%–6% of adults. Chronic infection can lead to serious health issues, like cirrhosis or liver cancer.
Hepatitis C
This is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV). It is a blood-borne virus. Today, most people become infected with the virus by sharing needles or other equipment to inject drugs. For some people, it is a short-term illness but for 70%–85% of people who become infected with the virus, it becomes a long-term, chronic infection.
Chronic hepatitis C is a serious disease that can result in long-term health problems, even death. Many people might not be aware of their infection because they are not clinically ill. There is no vaccine. The best way to prevent it is by avoiding behaviors that can spread the disease, especially injecting drugs.
Burden of the Virus
Worldwide, hepatitis causes 2 in every 3 liver-related deaths. 290 million people who live with the virus are unaware. Without finding these undiagnosed and linking them to proper medical care, they will continue to suffer, and 1.34 million lives will be lost per year.
Every year July 28th is World Hepatitis Day. The goal is to raise awareness of the global burden of the virus and to influence change.
The month of May is designated as Hepatitis Awareness Month in the United States, and May 19th is Hepatitis Testing Day. During May, CDC and its public health partners work to shed light on this hidden epidemic by raising awareness of the virus and encouraging priority populations to get tested.
Are You At Risk?
CDC developed an online Risk Assessment to help people find out if they should get tested or vaccinated for the virus. The assessment, which takes only five minutes, will provide personalized testing and vaccination recommendations for hepatitis A, B, and/or C.
https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/riskassessment/index.htm