ABSTRACT
Hepatitis refers to inflammation of the liver, which can result from a variety of agents, either infectious (such as viruses) or noninfectious (such as alcohol, medications, or fatty liver). This chapter reviews hepatitis caused by viruses that primarily affect the liver, including hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D or delta virus (HDV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV). Historically, “infectious” hepatitis was differentiated from “serum” hepatitis by the different routes of transmission: primarily fecal-oral versus blood exposures and sexual intercourse. Subsequent work identified the etiologic viral agents as HAV and HBV, respectively.
