What Is Hepatitis of Unknown Etiology?
Hepatitis or chronic liver disease for which a cause is not found despite testing for all known viruses and other causes of hepatitis is known as non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis. In the United States, approximately 10% of cases of acute hepatitis and 5% to 15% of chronic hepatitis cases are caused by non-A, non-B, and non-C. In the United States, 20%-30% of chronic liver diseases are not associated with hepatitis A, B, C, D, or E. Recently, several putative agents have been discovered that initial were thought to be associated with hepatitis in humans. These included: hepatitis G virus (HGV), TTV, and the SEN (sentinel) family of viruses . Over the past few years, 85 Alaska Natives have been identified with liver disease of unknown etiology, including 13 persons who have died from hepatocellular carcinoma.
