What is the difference between Acute and Chronic Hepatitis?
The acute stage can last from several weeks to several months. In some people, hepatitis B or C becomes an illness that lasts a long time (more than 6 months), a condition called chronic hepatitis. Other people recover from the infection and have no long-lasting problems. After a person has recovered from acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis can set in. Chronic hepatitis occurs when the liver has been damaged from the acute illness and doesn’t recover. Chronic hepatitis develops in 10% to 20% of people who have hepatitis B and in 30% to 50% of people who have hepatitis C.
