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Hepatitis: most people have heard of it, but many are not familiar with the types and consequences of the virus. This article discusses Hepatitis A, B, and C. Type E is virtually non-existent in the U.S., and Type D only affects those with Hepatitis B.
Hepatitis A
When an outbreak of hepatitis is reported at a school or food establishment, the culprit is Hepatitis A. It is transmitted from person-to-person through oral or fecal routes; therefore, people can be infected through contaminated food.
Fortunately, Hepatitis A does not cause chronic illness and usually resolves on its own within a few weeks. While most infected children do not have symptoms, adults may get a low-grade fever, fatigue, abdominal discomfort, diarrhea or vomiting, and, occasionally, jaundice.
A vaccine for Hepatitis A is available, but it is not mandatory for everyone. Food-service employees, world travellers, people with other chronic liver diseases, and children enrolled in daycare centers should all be vaccinated. To help boost immunity on a short-term basis, physicians may prescribe shots of immunoglobulin, a collection of antibodies against the virus, for family members and co-workers of people with Hepatitis A. However, vaccination is required for long-term protection.
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis B is more serious. In 5% of cases, it can lead to chronic inflammation of the liver, cirrhosis (scarring of the walls of the liver) and liver cancer.
Transmitted through blood and semen, Hepatitis B is most commonly contracted through sexual activity and intravenous drug use. People who received blood transfusions in the distant past are at high risk for Hepatitis B; however, major advances in blood screening have virtually eliminated this risk for patients receiving transfusions today.
Hepatitis B is fairly rare in this country, because vaccination is both available and mandatory in the U.S. However, the virus is still rampant in third world countries, where it is most often passed from mother to child in the uterus.
Hepatitis C
There is no vaccine for Hepatitis C, and 80% of all cases develop into chronic liver disease. Like Type B, Hepatitis C rarely exhibits any symptoms. Doctors may suspect the virus after receiving abnormal results from a patient’s routine blood screening, such as that performed during a regular physical examination.
Hepatitis C is transmitted through blood, and, in very rare cases, through sexual contact. At highest risk are IV drug and cocaine users, those with tattoos, and those who received blood transfusions prior to 1990.
There are treatments available for both Hepatitis B and C, with varying success rates. Researchers are working hard to develop a vaccine for Hepatitis C, as well as new treatments.
MKMG Gastroenterologists Oren Kahn, MD and Marvin Chinitz, MD are both experts in the treatment of Hepatitis and other liver diseases. They can recommend a course of treatment based upon a patient’s case history. For more information, contact them at 241-1050. | 
