In 2011, the first vaccine to prevent hepatitis E infection was registered in China. However, not currently available globally.  

Also maintain physical hygiene, and avoid drinking impure water or uncooked food, especially shellfish.

• Jaundice (condition causing yellow eyes and skin, dark urine)
• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue

Most people do not experience any symptoms during the acute infection phase.

Symptoms last several weeks, and include:

Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Most people do not experience any symptoms during incubation period. Symptoms include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Decreased appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Dark urine
• Grey-colored feces
• Joint pain
• Jaundice (yellowing of skin and the whites of the eyes).

Similar to other types of hepatitis viruses, including:

Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice), dark urine, extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.

• Jaundice (yellow discoloration of the skin and sclera of the eyes, dark urine and pale stools)
• Anorexia (loss of appetite)
• An enlarged, tender liver (hepatomegaly)
• Abdominal pain and tenderness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fever

Blood tests can used to diagnose hepatitis A.

Blood tests to test for antibodies to the hepatitis B surface antigen or for antibodies to the hepatitis B core antigen.

Diagnosis of acute infection is often missed because a majority of infected people have no symptoms. Blood tests, testing for presence of antibodies against the hepatitis C virus are used to confirm diagnosis. The hepatitis C virus recombinant immunoblot assay (RIBA) and hepatitis C virus RNA testing are used to confirm the diagnosis.

Blood tests can used to diagnose hepatitis D.

Blood tests for detection of specific antibodies to the virus.

May also require reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) to detect the hepatitis E virus RNA or immune electron microscopy to detect the hepatitis E virus.

Hepatitis A causes acute (short-lived) infection. The liver heals itself over a few weeks to months. No treatment is

There is no specific treatment for acute hepatitis B. Care is aimed at maintaining comfort and adequate nutritional balance, including replacement of fluids that are lost from vomiting and diarrhoea.

Some people with chronic hepatitis B can be treated with drugs, including interferon and antiviral agents.

Hepatitis C does not always require treatment. There are 6 genotypes of hepatitis C and they may respond differently to treatment. Combination antiviral therapy with interferon and ribavirin is commonly used to treat Hepatitis C.

There is no specific treatment for hepatitis D. Hepatitis D is a viral disease, and as such, antibiotics are of no value in the treatment of the infection.

A-interferon may be used to improve conditi***. Liver transplantation may be c***idered for cases of fulminant acute and end-stage chronic hepatitis D.

Hepatitis E is a self-limiting infection and automatically resolves within 4–6 weeks.

Globally, there are an estimated 1.4 million cases of hepatitis A every year.

Two billion people worldwide have been infected with the virus and about 600 000 people die every year due to the c***equences of hepatitis B.

The hepatitis B virus is 50 to 100 times more infectious than HIV.

About 150 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis C virus, and more than 350 000 people die every year from hepatitis C-related liver diseases.

HDV is rare in most developed countries, and is mostly associated with intravenous drug use. In all, about 20 million people worldwide may be infected with HDV.

Every year there are 20 million hepatitis E infecti***, over three million acute cases of hepatitis E, and 70 000 hepatitis E-related deaths.