Basic Information
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Viral Hepatitis
What is Viral Hepatitis?
Viral Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. Several different viruses, named Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E viruses, cause Viral Hepatitis.
All of these viruses cause acute, or short-term, Viral Hepatitis. The Hepatitis B, C, and D viruses can also cause chronic hepatitis, in which the infection is prolonged, sometimes lifelong. Chronic hepatitis can lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.
Symptoms include:
- Jaundice, which causes yellowing of the skin and eye
- Fatigue
- Abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Low grade fever
- Headache
However, some people do not have any symptoms.
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Hepatitis A
How is Hepatitis A spread?
Hepatitis A is spread primarily through food or water contaminated
by feces from an infected person. Rarely, it is spread through
contact with infected blood.
Who is at risk for Hepatitis A?
People most likely to get Hepatitis A are:
- International travelers, particularly those traveling to
developing countries
- People who live with or have sex with an infected person
- People living in areas where children are not routinely vaccinated
against Hepatitis A, where outbreaks are more likely
- Day care children and employees during outbreaks
- Men who have sex with men
- Users of recreational drugs, whether injection or not
- Have clotting factor disorders, such as hemophilia
How can Hepatitis A be prevented?
The Hepatitis A vaccine offers immunity to adults and children older
than age 1.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
recommends routine Hepatitis A vaccination for children aged 12 to
23 months and for high risk adults.
Treatment with immune globulin
can provide short-term immunity to Hepatitis A when given before
exposure or within 2 weeks of exposure to the virus.
Avoiding tap
water when traveling internationally and practicing good hygiene and
sanitation also help prevent Hepatitis A.
What is the treatment for Hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A usually resolves on its own over several weeks.
Where can I get more information?
For more information call Communicable Disease Epidemiology (206) 418-5500 or toll free 877-539-4344, the
Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention Program (360) 236-3440 or toll
free 866-917-4HEP, the Immunization Program (360) 236-3595 or the Food Program (360) 236-3330.
Hepatitis A Fact Sheet CDC (PDF 857KB)
Hepatitis A web page
- For more information, educational materials, and vaccine
information on Hepatitis A visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
hepatitis web page.
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Hepatitis B
How is Hepatitis B spread?
Hepatitis B is spread by direct contact with the blood, serum, or sexual fluids of an infected person.
This can happen by sharing needles or having sex with somebody infected with Hepatitis B.
Who is at risk for Hepatitis B?
People most likely to get Hepatitis B are:
- People who live with or have sex with an infected person
- Men who have sex with men
- People who have multiple sex partners
- Persons who use injection drugs
- Immigrants and children of immigrants from area with high
rates of Hepatitis B
- Infants born to an infected mother
- Health care workers
- Hemodialysis patients
- People who received a blood transfusion or blood products
before 1987
- International travelers
How can hepatitis B be prevented?
The Hepatitis B vaccine offers the best protection.
All
infants and unvaccinated children, adolescents, and high risk
adults should be vaccinated.
For people who have not been
vaccinated, reducing exposure to the virus can help prevent
Hepatitis B.
Reducing exposure means using latex condoms, which
may lower the risk of transmission; not sharing any blood
testing devices, needles or drug equipment; and not sharing
personal items such as toothbrushes, razors, and nail clippers
with an infected person.
What is the treatment for Hepatitis B?
Drugs approved for the treatment of chronic Hepatitis B
include alpha interferon and peginterferon, which slow the
replication of the virus in the body and also boost the immune
system, and the antiviral drugs lamivudine, adefovir dipivoxil,
entecavir, and telbivudine. Other drugs are also being
evaluated.
Infants born to infected mothers should receive
Hepatitis B immune globulin and the Hepatitis B vaccine within
12 hours of birth the help prevent infection.
People who develop acute Hepatitis B are generally not treated
with antiviral drugs because, depending on their age at
infection, the disease often resolves on its own.
Infected
newborns are most likely to progress to chronic hepatitis B, but
by young adulthood, most people with acute infection recover on
their own.
Severe acute Hepatitis B can be treated with an
antiviral drug such as lamivudine.
Where can I get more information?
For more information call the Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention
Program (360) 236-3440 or toll free 866-917-4HEP, or the Immunization Program, (360) 236-3595 or Communicable Disease Epidemiology, (206) 418-5500 or toll-free 877-539-4344.
Hepatitis B Fact Sheet
- CDC (PDF 52KB)
Hepatitis B Webpage-
For more information, educational materials and vaccine information
on Hepatitis B, visit the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention hepatitis web page.
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Hepatitis C
How is Hepatitis C Spread?
Hepatitis C is spread primarily through contact with infected blood. Less commonly, it can be spread through sexual contact and childbirth.
Who is at risk for Hepatitis C?
People most likely to be exposed to the Hepatitis C virus include:
- Persons who use injection drugs, even if you only experimented a few times many years ago
- Recipients of donated blood, blood products, and organs before 1992
- People who received a blood product for clotting problems made before 1987
- People who have ever been on long-term kidney dialysis
- People who received body piercing or tattoos with non-sterile instruments
- People with known exposures, health care workers injured by needlesticks, etc.
- HIV-infected people
- Children born to mothers infected with Hepatitis C
- People with evidence of liver disease (e.g., persistently abnormal ALT levels)
How can Hepatitis C be prevented?
There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C.
The only way to prevent the disease is to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus.
Reducing exposure means avoiding behaviors like sharing drug needles or
equipment, and not sharing personal items such as toothbrushes, razors, and nail clippers with an infected person.
What is the treatment for Hepatitis C?
Each person should discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating hepatitis. This can include some internists, family practitioners, infectious disease doctors, or hepatologists (liver specialists).
People with chronic Hepatitis C should be watched closely for signs of liver disease and evaluated for treatment.
The treatment most often used for Hepatitis C is a combination of two medicines, interferon and ribavirin.
However, not every person with chronic Hepatitis C needs or will benefit from treatment. In addition, the drugs may cause serious side effects in some patients.
Approximately 15%-25% of people who get Hepatitis C will clear the virus from their bodies without treatment and will not develop chronic infection. There is no clear reason why this happens for some people.
Where can I get more information?
For more information call the Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention
Program (360) 236-3440 or toll free 866-917-4HEP or Communicable
Disease Epidemiology (206) 418-5500 or toll-free 877-539-4344.
Hepatitis C Fact Sheet
- CDC (PDF 857KB)
Hepatitis C
web page - For more information, educational materials on Hepatitis C, visit the
Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention hepatitis web page.
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Delta Hepatitis (Hepatitis D)
What is Hepatitis D?
Hepatitis D is spread through contact with infected blood. This
disease only occurs at the same time as infection with Hepatitis B
or in people who are already infected with Hepatitis B.
Who is at risk for Hepatitis D?
Anyone infected with Hepatitis B is at risk for Hepatitis D.
Persons who use injection drugs have the highest risk. Others at risk include:
- People who live with or have sex with a person infected with
Hepatitis D
- People who received a blood transfusion or blood products before
1987
How can Hepatitis D be prevented?
People not already infected with Hepatitis B should receive the
Hepatitis B vaccine.
Other preventive measures include avoiding
exposure to infected blood, contaminated needles, and an infected
person's personal items such as toothbrushes, razors, and nail
clippers.
What is the treatment for Hepatitis D?
* Chronic Hepatitis D is usually treated with pegylated interferon,
although other potential treatments are under study.
Where can I get more information?
For more information call the Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention
Program at (360) 236-3440 or toll-free 866-917-4HEP or Communicable
Disease Epidemiology at (206) 418-5500 or toll-free 877-539-4344.
Hepatitis D web page - For more information and educational materials on Hepatitis D visit
the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention hepatitis web page.
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Hepatitis E
How is Hepatitis E spread?
Hepatitis E is spread through food or water contaminated by feces from an infected person. This disease in uncommon in the United States.
Who is at risk for Hepatitis E?
People most likely to be exposed to the Hepatitis E virus are:
- International travelers, particularly those traveling to developing countries
- People living in areas where Hepatitis E outbreaks are common
- People who live with or have sex with an infected person
How can Hepatitis E be prevented?
There is no U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved vaccine for Hepatitis E.
The only way to prevent the disease is to reduce the risk of exposure to the virus.
Reducing risk of exposure means avoiding tap water when traveling internationally and practicing good hygiene and sanitation.
What is the treatment for Hepatitis E?
Hepatitis E usually resolves on its own over several weeks to months
Where can I get more information?
For more information call the Adult Viral Hepatitis Prevention Program at (360) 236-3440 or toll-free 866-917-4HEP or Communicable Disease Epidemiology at (206) 418-5500 or toll-free 877-539-4344.
Hepatitis E
web page - For more information, educational materials on Hepatitis E, visit the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hepatitis web page.
Points to Remember:
- Viral Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by the Hepatitis A, B, C, D, or E viruses.
- Depending on the type of virus, Viral Hepatitis is spread through contaminated food or water, contact with infected blood, sexual contact with an infected person, or from mother to child during childbirth.
- Vaccines offer protection from Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B.
- No vaccines are available for Hepatitis C, D, and E. Reducing exposure is the best protection.
- Hepatitis A and E usually resolve on their own. Hepatitis B, C, and D can be chronic and serious. There is treatment for chronic hepatitis.
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