Shellfish that live in contaminated waters are another source for the A hepatitis. Infected people lose their appetite, they are often sick to their stomach and vomit. Weakness and fatigue descend on their bodies. Frequently the skin turns yellow. As sick as hepatitis A makes a person, rarely does it cause death, and it never becomes a chronic liver infection.
Treatment consists of an attempt to make the infected person more comfortable.
However, the B virus can persist in liver cells, leading to cirrhosis and death. It is transmitted via contaminated needles, promiscuous sex and from mother to fetus. The initial infection can be silent. Most don't realize they are infected until routine blood tests indicate liver cells are dying. Hepatitis C lingers in the liver in the majority of infected people.