Overview (Hepatitis)

Submitted by dinara on Sat, 10/06/2017 - 19:17

Viral Hepatitis has become a public health challenge of global proportions. Although there are five distinct types of viral hepatitis (A, B, C, D, and E), chronic hepatitis B and C cause 95% of hepatitis-related sickness and untimely deaths. Hepatitis D is less common and occurs only in association with hepatitis B. The other viruses (namely hepatitis A and E) are spread via contaminated food and water and cause acute infections and outbreaks in areas of poor sanitation and inadequate waste disposal. Acute infections are often short-lived and resolved within a few weeks. In pregnant women, hepatitis E virus infection (HEV) has a higher case fatality rate.