Hepatitis – NHS

Hepatitis is the term used to describe inflammation of the liver. It’s usually the result of a viral infection or liver damage caused by drinking alcohol.

There are several different types of hepatitis. Some types will pass without any serious problems, while others can be long-lasting (chronic) and cause scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), loss of liver function and, in some cases, liver cancer.

Symptoms of hepatitis

Short-term (acute) hepatitis often has no noticeable symptoms, so you may not realise you have it.

If symptoms do develop, they can include:

• muscle and joint pain
• a high temperature
• feeling and being sick
• feeling unusually tired all the time
• a general sense of feeling unwell
• loss of appetite
• tummy pain
• dark urine
• pale, grey-coloured poo
• itchy skin
• yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)

See your GP if you have any persistent or troublesome symptoms that you think could be caused by hepatitis.

Long-term (chronic) hepatitis also may not have any obvious symptoms until the liver stops working properly (liver failure) and may only be picked up during blood tests.

In the later stages it can cause jaundice, swelling in the legs, ankles and feet, confusion, and blood in your stools or vomit.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is caused by the hepatitis A virus. It’s usually caught by consuming food and drink contaminated with the poo of an infected person, and is most common in countries where sanitation is poor.

Hepatitis A usually passes within a few months, although it can occasionally be severe and even life threatening.

There’s no specific treatment for it, other than to relieve symptoms like pain, nausea and itching.

Vaccination against hepatitis A is recommended if:

• you’re at high risk of infection or severe consequences of infection
• you’re travelling to an area where the virus is common, such as the Indian subcontinent, Africa, Central and South America, the Far East and eastern Europe.

Find out more about hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus, which is spread in the blood of an infected person.

It’s a common infection worldwide and is usually spread from infected pregnant women to their babies, or from child-to-child contact.

It can also be spread through unprotected sex and injecting drugs.

Hepatitis B is uncommon in the UK. It most commonly affects people who became infected while growing up in part of the world where the infection is more common, such as southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Most adults infected with hepatitis B are able to fight off the virus and fully recover from the infection within a couple of months.

But most people infected as children develop a long-term infection. This is known as chronic hepatitis B, and can lead to cirrhosis and liver cancer. Antiviral medicine can be used to treat it.

In the UK, vaccination against hepatitis B is recommended for people in high-risk groups, such as:

• healthcare workers
• people who inject drugs
• men who have sex with men
• children born to mothers with hepatitis B
• people travelling to parts of the world where the infection is more common

Hepatitis B vaccination is also part of the routine immunisation programme so all children can benefit from protection from this virus.

Find out more about hepatitis B

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is caused by the hepatitis C virus.

It’s usually spread through blood-to-blood contact with an infected person.

In the UK, it’s most commonly spread through sharing needles used to inject drugs.

Poor healthcare practices and unsafe medical injections are the main way it’s spread outside the UK.

Hepatitis C often causes no noticeable symptoms, or only flu-like symptoms, so many people are unaware they’re infected.

Some people will fight off the infection and be free of the virus. In other cases, it’ll stay in the body for many years.

This is known as chronic hepatitis C and can cause cirrhosis and liver failure.

Chronic hepatitis C can be treated with very effective antiviral medicines, but there’s currently no vaccine available.

Find out more about hepatitis C

Hepatitis D

Hepatitis D is caused by the hepatitis D virus. It only affects people who are already infected with hepatitis B, as it needs the hepatitis B virus to be able to survive in the body.

Hepatitis D is usually spread through blood-to-blood contact or sexual contact. It’s uncommon in the UK, but is more widespread in other parts of Europe, the Middle East, Africa and South America.

Long-term infection with hepatitis D and hepatitis B can increase your risk of developing serious problems, such as cirrhosis and liver cancer.

There’s no vaccine specifically for hepatitis D, but the hepatitis B vaccine can help protect you from it.

Hepatitis E

Hepatitis E is caused by the hepatitis E virus. The number of cases in Europe has increased in recent years and it’s now the most common cause of short-term (acute) hepatitis in the UK.

The virus has been mainly associated with the consumption of raw or undercooked pork meat or offal, but also with wild boar meat, venison and shellfish.  

Hepatitis E is generally a mild and short-term infection that does not require any treatment, but it can be serious in some people, such as those who have a weakened immune system.

There’s no vaccine for hepatitis E. When travelling to parts of the world with poor sanitation, where epidemic hepatitis E may be common, you can reduce your risk by practising good food and water hygiene measures.

The British Liver Trust has more information about hepatitis E

Alcoholic hepatitis

Alcoholic hepatitis is a type of hepatitis caused by drinking excessive amounts of alcohol over many years.

The condition is common in the UK and many people do not realise they have it.

This is because it does not usually cause any symptoms, although it can cause sudden jaundice and liver failure in some people.

Stopping drinking will usually allow your liver to recover, but there’s a risk you could eventually develop cirrhosis, liver failure or liver cancer if you continue to drink alcohol excessively.

You can reduce your risk of developing alcoholic hepatitis by controlling how much you drink.

It’s recommended that you do not regularly drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week.

Read more about alcohol-related liver disease and the health risks associated with alcohol.

Autoimmune hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare cause of long-term hepatitis where the immune system attacks and damages the liver.

Eventually, the liver can become so damaged that it stops working properly.

Treatment for autoimmune hepatitis involves very effective medicines that suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation.

It’s not clear what causes autoimmune hepatitis and it’s not known whether anything can be done to prevent it.

The British Liver Trust has more information about autoimmune hepatitis

Page last reviewed: 23 August 2022
Next review due: 23 August 2025

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Key populations (men who have sex with men, people who inject drugs, sex workers, trans and gender diverse people and people in prisons) are at increased. ..

In 2022, WHO published the Consolidated guidelines on HIV, viral hepatitis and STI prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations….

In 2022, WHO published the Consolidated guidelines on HIV, viral hepatitis and STI prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care for key populations. These…

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a major public health problem and cause of chronic liver disease that leads to approximately 399 000 deaths annually….

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WHO guidelines for key populations: what is new and what is important

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Bringing hepatitis care closer to communities

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World Hepatitis Day 2021- WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

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Why is hepatitis dangerous?

07/28/2021




This is an inflammatory disease that destroys liver cells and interferes with its functioning.

The liver is the largest organ in the body, weighing about 1.3 kg. It consists of four lobes of different sizes and shapes and is located in the abdominal cavity on the right below the diaphragm.

The human liver has many functions:

– Detoxification – filtering harmful substances from the blood, such as alcohol.

– Accumulation and preservation of useful substances. For example, vitamins A, D, K and B12.

– Synthesis of amino acids – the “building blocks” of proteins.

– Production of digestive enzymes – bile.

— Maintaining an optimal level of sugar in the blood.

– Production of 80 percent of cholesterol in the body.

– Storage of glycogen and conversion of glucose to glycogen.

– Production of hormones.

How does hepatitis affect the liver?

Hepatitis can cause liver dysfunction, cirrhosis and oncological diseases of this organ.

The most common forms of hepatitis are A, B and C. The first form is transmitted through food and water, hepatitis B is mainly sexually transmitted, and C is transmitted through the blood.

Is hepatitis always caused by an infection?

Not all forms of hepatitis are infectious. Alcohol, drugs, certain chemicals, and medications can cause liver inflammation. Metabolic disorders or obesity can also lead to inflammatory processes.

How to protect yourself?

It is important to avoid contact with other people’s body fluids, especially blood.


• Do not forget about the basic rules of personal hygiene – use only your own toothbrush, razor and manicure accessories.
• Always wash your hands after using the toilet and public places, and before every meal. When visiting cosmetic elephants (tattoo, piercing studios), you need to ensure that only disposable sterile instruments are used.

The best protection against viral hepatitis is vaccination

In Russia, vaccination is carried out against hepatitis A and B. Children over 3 years of age who live in areas with a high incidence of this infection and workers in certain specialties are vaccinated against hepatitis A. Persons traveling to countries unfavorable for viral hepatitis A are advised to get vaccinated in advance.

Vaccination against hepatitis B begins already in the hospital. Given the urgency of the problem, the entire adult population under 55 years of age should be vaccinated. The hepatitis B vaccine also protects against hepatitis D. The protective effect of the vaccine lasts for years.

For all questions related to vaccination, you should contact your local doctor at the place of residence.

Why is hepatitis C dangerous and what should be done to prevent infection?

Why is hepatitis C dangerous and what should be done to prevent infection?

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Why is hepatitis C dangerous and what can be done to prevent infection?

Why is hepatitis C dangerous and what can be done to prevent infection?

Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver caused by infection with the HCV virus. As a result of the reproduction of the virus in human liver cells, their function is disrupted and they can die, and the viruses that come out of them continue to infect more and more new cells.

If, after infection with the hepatitis C virus, the human body could not cope with it on its own and the virus continues to multiply for more than 6 months, then the disease has become chronic. Chronic hepatitis C occurs quite often, on average in 3 out of 4 people. Every fourth disease goes away on its own and often a person learns about it by chance after many years.

In the long course of the disease in an infected person, normal liver tissue is replaced by connective tissue (liver fibrosis). The final stage of fibrosis is cirrhosis of the liver. Therefore, it is important for all people with chronic hepatitis C to see a doctor and regularly undergo the necessary examinations.

The hepatitis C virus is found in large quantities in the blood and other body fluids of an infected person. Infection most often occurs when the blood of an infected person enters the blood or broken skin (mucous membranes) of another person. People who inject drugs are at the highest risk of becoming infected with the hepatitis C virus.

It is important to remember that the hepatitis C virus is not transmitted by shaking hands, hugging, kissing, sharing dishes and cutlery, sharing bed linen.

There are well-known measures to prevent infection with viral hepatitis C:

– Avoid tattoos, piercings and unreasonable cosmetic procedures, and if they are carried out, contact organizations that have the necessary permits for the provision of relevant services, whose specialists have received appropriate training in safe work practices and use disposable or reusable sterilized instruments.