Hepatitis A, B, and C

• Hepatitis A: Webmd.com



• Hepatitis B: Webmd.com



• Hepatitis C: Webmd.com

What Is It?

Hepatitis A: A liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It usually causes temporary liver inflammation, and most people recover without any long-term liver problems.

Hepatitis B: A serious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).

Hepatitis C: A virus that infects the liver and can lead to permanent liver damage.

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Hepatitis A:

Exposure to the virus through…

• Oral contact with stool (feces) containing the virus (such as through drinking a contaminated water supply)


• Sexual contact

Hepatitis B:

Exposure to blood and other bodily fluids, such as the following:

• Breast milk


• Open sores


• Saliva


• Sexual contact

Hepatitis C: Exposure to infected blood. In rare cases, it can be passed from mother to child at birth.

What Are the Symptoms/Risks?

Hepatitis A: Experience the following symptoms for less than two months:

• Fatigue


• Fever


• Headache


• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the white part of the eyes)


• Liver pain (right side of the abdomen, under the rib cage)


• Loss of appetite and weight loss


• Nausea


• Sore muscles

Hepatitis B:

• Death


• Liver cancer


• Liver failure


• Scarring of the liver

Hepatitis C:

• Belly pain


• Dark urine


• Feeling very tired


• Itchy skin


• Jaundice


• Joint pain


• Sore muscles

These symptoms can last for 15 years or longer before the disease is diagnosed.

Is it Hereditary?

No. All forms of hepatitis are viruses that are spread through contact.

Diagnosable at Birth or Latent?

Hepatitis A: Latent.

Hepatitis B: Latent. Symptoms occur 1 to 6 months after exposure.

Hepatitis C: Latent.

What Else Do I Need to Know?

Hepatitis A: It is the most common form of hepatitis.

Hepatitis B: In most cases, it causes limited infection, which people fight off within a few months, resulting in an immunity that lasts a lifetime. Some people develop chronic hepatitis B, which can lead to cirrhosis, which is a hardening of the liver that causes liver tissue to scar and stop working.

Hepatitis C: Although it can be very serious, many people can manage the disease and lead active, full lives.

What’s the Bottom Line?

In most cases, you will not know at birth if the child has been exposed to a hepatitis virus.