Curious about what the differences are between hepatitis A, B, C, D and E? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Here, experts break down hepatitis infection by type to reveal what it is, the most common symptoms, how it’s transmitted and the options available to treat it.
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis is a viral infection of the liver that causes liver inflammation, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A hepatitis A infection is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), which is very contagious, although there is a vaccine available to prevent it.
“Hepatitis A is spread through contaminated food and water, not through blood or sexual intercourse,” explains Dr. Melissa Jenkins, chief of the division of infectious diseases at Cleveland’s MetroHealth Medical Center.
The CDC notes that HAV may also be transmitted through close contact with someone who has been infected with the virus.
Hepatitis A symptoms may last up to two months and include:
- Fatigue
- Nausea
- Abdominal pain
- Jaundice
“There are no treatments for hepatitis A, except for supportive care [such as] medication for nausea [and] intravenous fluids,” explains Jenkins, who is also an associate professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, in Cleveland.
She adds that “hepatitis A does not cause a chronic infection like hepatitis B and C. Once people recover from hepatitis A, they do not have any long-term liver complications and are immune.”
RELATED: 10 Reasons To Get Tested For Hepatitis C
Hepatitis B
Like hepatitis A, hepatitis B is vaccine preventable. The CDC states that it’s caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).
Jenkins explains that HBV “is spread through contact with blood or through sexual intercourse. It can also be spread from mother to child.”
According to the CDC, symptoms of HBV may include: