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WHAT IS HEPATITIS?

Hepat (liver) + itis (inflammation)

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver. It may be caused by viruses, alcohol, drugs and other toxins.

The three main hepatitis viruses are hepatitis A, B & C.

Hepatitis C affects 5 million people in the United States and over 200 million people in the world. It is the leading cause of liver transplantation in the United States.

HEPATITIS A HEPATITIS B HEPATITIS C Incubation 2 to 7 weeks 6 to 23 weeks 2 to 25 weeks   Transmission Fecal/oral route; person to person contact; contaminated food or water Contact with infected blood; contaminated IV needles; mother to newborn; sexual contact Contact with infected blood; contaminated IV needles; sharing personal hygiene implements; less than 5% mother to newborn; not easily spread through sex   Symptoms Jaundice, fatigue, nausea & vomiting, abdominal pain, fever May have none; mild flu-like symptoms, jaundice, fatigue, fever Same as hepatitis B   Impact of Disease Never becomes chronic; self-limiting Becomes chronic in 10% of cases Becomes chronic in 75 – 85% of cases   Vaccine Yes, two doses Yes, three doses No