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What is Hepatitis?

 
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Several hepatitis viruses exist, including Hepatitis A, B, C and D. The viruses are spread differently and have different effects on your health.

Find out what to do if you think you have caught Hepatitis.

How the viruses are spread
Hepatitis A is mainly spread through contaminated food or drinking water, although you can also be infected by close contact with an infected person.

Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C are spread if a small amount of blood from someone who carries the virus gets into someone else’s bloodstream. This can happen, for example, through sharing injection needles, razors and toothbrushes with a carrier, as well as through sexual contact.

A few people who have Hepatitis B also have another virus called Hepatitis D. The virus is transmitted in blood and is most common in injecting drug users. You can only have Hepatitis D if you also have Hepatitis B.

Health effects
Many people infected with hepatitis display no symptoms at all and do not feel ill.

Hepatitis A infections are associated with the most severe symptoms including headaches, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain. These may last for a week or more before jaundice develops.

Those infected with Hepatitis B may experience a mild, flu like illness, which may include a cough, sore throat, tiredness, joint pains and loss of appetite. Severe abdominal pain and jaundice are associated with acute infections.

Hepatitis C is unusual in that approximately 95% of patients initially do not show any symptoms. The other 5% may experience ‘flu-like symptoms, vomiting, fever and jaundice.

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