Often, the infected person may not experience any symptoms. Nonetheless, the liver remains chronically inflamed, increasing the risk of cirrhosis or liver cancer. Often caused by consuming contaminated food or water. Produces only acute hepatitis. Sometimes called infectious hepatitis, although all viral hepatitis is infectious.
Vaccine is available and recommended before travel in some parts of the world.
Spread in numerous ways including sexual contact, blood products, and contaminated needles. May produce a severe acute hepatitis but only about 5 percent to 10 percent develop chronic hepatitis. Readily preventable by vaccination. A blood-borne virus first identified and successfully tested for in 1989. It is most often transmitted by intravenous drug users sharing contaminated needles.