Hepatitis in general refers to any inflammation of the liver. It can have a variety of causes, including viruses, medicines, alcohol, chemicals and other toxins. Hepatitis C is a serious form of viral hepatitis, especially in the chronic stage of infection.
Two other forms of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A and hepatitis B. These can sometimes be confused with Hep C, but the three viruses are quite different.
Comparing Hepatitis A, B & C
| |
Hepatitis A |
Hepatitis B |
Hep C |
| Transmission |
Fecal-oral route |
Blood and body fluids |
Blood-to-blood contact |
| Disease Progression |
Infection usually clears on its own
Mild illness possibly including fatigue, fever and jaundice |
85% can clear the virus
Chronic infection can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis and cancer |
20% clear the virus
Chronic infection can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis and cancer |
| Treatment |
None |
Antiviral medications with varying success |
Antiviral medications with varying success |
| Vaccine/ Immunity |
Yes |
Yes |
No |
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but there are vaccines against hepatitis A and B.
A person can be infected with more than one hepatitis virus. This
co-infection will cause the person to be more ill than if he or she had one virus alone. Getting the vaccines for hepatitis A and B will help protect a person’s health, even if he or she already has Hep C.
Other hepatitis viruses:
Hepatitis D is a virus that only infects people with hepatitis B. Like other co-infections, having hepatitis B and D will cause more liver damage than hepatitis B alone.
Hepatitis E is transmitted similarly to hepatitis A (by contact with contaminated feces). It is not often seen in North America, but it is seen in South Asia and North Africa.
Hepatitis G is an RNA virus, similar to HCV. It is blood-borne but does not cause disease and can co-exist with other types of hepatitis. No treatment is required for hepatitis G.
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