What is Non-A, Non-B Hepatitis and Hepatitis C?
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. One frequent cause is viruses. The most common hepatitis viruses are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Previously, viral hepatitis that was not caused by the type A or type B virus was called “non-A, non-B hepatitis.” Recently three more viruses have been identified that cause some of these non-A, non-B infections. These new viruses are hepatitis C, D, or delta, and E. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is thought to cause 95% of non-A, non-B hepatitis infections in people who have had blood transfusions. In addition, hepatitis C probably causes 50% of cases of sporadic non-A, non-B hepatitis. With viral infection, the liver becomes inflamed and usually becomes tender and swollen. Patches of liver tissue may be destroyed. The most important feature of hepatitis C is the frequency with which people develop chronic (ongoing) liver disease. Even mild cases tend to get worse over time, often resulting in cirrhosis of the liver. Research continue
