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Hepatitis C: An In-Depth Guide
Other types of hepatitis
Key points
- Hepatitis (liver injury) can result from a variety of causes, including viruses, medicines, alcohol, chemicals and other toxins.
- There are two other forms of viral hepatitis that can be confused with hepatitis C but are different from hepatitis C. They are hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
- There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but there are vaccines for hepatitis A and B. Other types of hepatitis viruses that are generally less common in Canada are hepatitis D, E and G.
Hepatitis in general refers to any type of liver inflammation. It can result from a variety of causes, including viruses, medicines, alcohol, chemicals and other toxins. Hepatitis C is a serious form of viral hepatitis. Two other forms of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A and hepatitis B. These can sometimes be confused with hepatitis C, but the three viruses are quite different.
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Comparing Hepatitis A, B & C |
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| Hepatitis A | Hepatitis B | Hep C | |
| Transmission | Fecal-oral route | Blood and body fluids | Blood-to-blood contact |
| Disease Progression |
Infection usually clears on its own. Mild illness possibly including fatigue, fever and jaundice. More serious illness can occur in people with HIV and others with weakened immune systems. |
About 95% of adults clear the virus without treatment. The chance of developing chronic hepatitis B becomes much greater if a child is exposed at a young age, especially as an infant. Chronic infection can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis and cancer. |
About one in four people clear the virus without treatment. Chronic infection can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis and cancer. |
| Treatment | None | Antiviral medications can help to keep the virus under control. There is no cure. | Antiviral medications cure more than 95% of people. |
| Vaccine/ Immunity | Yes | Yes | No |
There is no vaccine for hepatitis C, but there are vaccines against hepatitis A and B.
A person can have more than one hepatitis infection. This co-infection can cause the person to be more ill than if the person has only one virus infection. Getting the vaccines for hepatitis A and B will help protect a person's health, even if they have hepatitis C.
Other hepatitis viruses:
Hepatitis D is a virus that only infects people with hepatitis B. Like other co-infections, having hepatitis B and D will cause more liver damage than hepatitis B alone.
Hepatitis E is transmitted similarly to hepatitis A (by contact with contaminated feces, but also through eating undercooked wild meat). It is not often seen in North America. It is most common in in Asia.
Hepatitis G is an RNA virus, similar to hepatitis C. It is blood-borne but does not cause disease and can co-exist with other types of hepatitis. No treatment is required for hepatitis G.
Resources for service providers
- Hepatitis C Basics – eduCATIE online course
Resources for clients
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6 things to know about Hep C – CATIE brochure
Revised 2019.
