The different types of viral hepatitis are named after the alphabet which goes from hepatitis A to E. Although there are other possible viruses that could cause this disease, these five viruses are the only ones considered by doctors and experts to be forms of hepatitis viruses. Hepatitis A to E viruses are alike in many ways; they infect the cells in the liver and that causes inflammation. However, to have a better understanding of them, we will be looking into each hepatitis virus one by one.
The first one is called hepatitis A virus or also called the HAV which is categorized as hepatovirus wherein it belongs to the Picornaviridae family. It is a small unenveloped proportioned infection which is the cause of a contagious hepatitis transferred through either the discharge of feces or whatever is taken in orally. People are usually exposed to the hepatitis virus by eating or drinking something that is contaminated or infected with the disease. Moreover, the effect is usually limited on the person infected and the effects may vary depending on how the body of the person is responding to the infection. As a result, contracting the HAV will have different effects on various people. In this case, children will not usually show any signs or symptoms while adults may show severe symptoms and they could be ill for 2 months long. However, when the infection has subsided, the person will already be immune from getting the same disease again.
A person who has contracted the HAV can spread the disease with his stools and discharge. Even in developing countries, there have been cases wherein the HAV is passed on because of poor sanitation systems in which the infected stools have contaminated the entire water supply. People who are infected with the HAV while having poor hygiene can also easily spread the disease because of simply not washing their hands after going to the comfort room. So in order to prevent getting the HAV, one should always practice good hygiene and avoid the intake of any contaminated food and water. Nevertheless, getting a hepatitis A vaccine is still the best defense especially to those who are traveling often to places that do not have a secured and sanitized water supply.
The second one is called the hepatitis B virus or HBV which is classified as a member of the hepadnavirus group. This type is usually endemic among the human population and hyper-endemic in many parts of the world. Meaning, all humans are more likely to get this type of infection but there are certain places in the world that expose their human population to a higher chance of obtaining the infection compared to those living in other places. Basically, the HBV is a blood-borne disease that can be spread in many ways. It can either be spread through sexual contact with another person who has the HBV already, from a mother who has the infection to her baby during childbirth or through any contact with an infected person’s blood. Hepatitis B, as an acute disease, can subside for many months but many people can become chronically infected which has the higher risk of developing more complications and diseases such as cirrhosis or liver cancer. However, it can be treated with a combination of several antiviral medications.
Another one is the hepatitis C virus or HCV which is also a blood-borne disease that can be spread by direct blood-to-blood contact such as sharing of needles. This type of infection can also be spread through sexual contact but is often rare to occur. Although there are antiviral medications available for the HCV, the unfortunate news is that there is no vaccine available yet to prevent one from obtaining the HCV unlike hepatitis A and hepatitis B so it is important to simply prevent any contact with infected blood. On the other hand, there is also the hepatitis D virus or HDV which is a rather unique infection because it can only infect someone who already has acquired the HBV. It is also a blood-borne virus that will grow as a coinciding infection with the hepatitis B or a super-infection of hepatitis B. With this, being vaccinated for hepatitis B can also prevent one from acquiring the HDV.
The last type is the hepatitis E virus or HEV which is similar to HAV in terms of the way it can be spread and the type of diseases it develops. However, they differ because the HEV is even more severe and has more serious effects especially on pregnant women and their babies. There is also no vaccine available yet for the HEV that is why following the simple preventions like avoiding contaminated food and water and having proper hygiene is a good defense. On the other hand, aside from the ones mentioned here, there are other viruses and diseases that can cause hepatitis which also hold the same symptoms to viral hepatitis. These are the infectious mononucleosis, cytomegalovirus or CMV and Epstein-Barr infection. Nonetheless, they are not considered to be included in the main viruses that cause hepatitis.
In conclusion, there are many types of viruses that can easily infect people with hepatitis and some can easily be passed on through doing simple human activities such as eating and drinking. It is a scary disease that can even be life-threatening if not treated and medicated right away. So it is important that people are aware and mindful of these different infections that can easily affect people. As some of the viral infections still do not have available vaccines, it is the people’s responsibility to follow the preventive measures against obtaining this disease. Preventions like avoiding contaminated food and water, practicing proper hygiene and getting vaccinated for immunization especially if one travels a lot can help prevent any disease and infection.
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