What causes hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a generic term. It indicates inflammation and damage to liver cells. This damage can be caused by drugs, toxins, alcohol, inherited diseases, certain metabolic diseases and viruses. Commonly, however, hepatitis refers to viral hepatitis. There are a wide variety of viruses that can cause hepatitis, but again most commonly the term refers to the viruses designated A, B, C, D, E, and G. In the United States, the most common causes are hepatitis A, B, and C. There are over 4 million chronic carriers of hepatitis C in the US. And almost one and a half million carriers of hepatitis D. Almost 15,000 individuals die from viral hepatitis in the U.S. Hepatitis C is the commonest reason for liver transplant in the U.S.
