Hepatitis B is an infectious disease caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) that affects the liver;[1][7] it is a type of viral hepatitis.[8] It can cause both acute and chronic infection.
Many people have no symptoms during the initial infection.[1] In acute infection, some may develop a rapid onset of sickness with vomiting, yellowish skin, tiredness, dark urine, and abdominal pain.[1] Often these symptoms last a few weeks and initial infection rarely results in death.[1][9] It may take 30 to 180 days for symptoms to begin.[1] In those who get infected around the time of birth 90% develop chronic hepatitis B while less than 10% of those infected after the age of five do.[4] Most of those with chronic disease have no symptoms; however, cirrhosis and liver cancer eventually develop[2] in about 25% of those with chronic HBV.[1]
The virus is transmitted by exposure to infectious blood or body fluids.[1] In areas where the disease is common, Infection around the time of birth or from contact with other people's blood during childhood is the most frequent method by which hepatitis B is acquired.[1] In areas where the disease is rare, intravenous drug use and sexual intercourse are the most frequent routes of infection.[1] Other risk factors include working in healthcare, blood transfusions, dialysis, living with an infected person, travel in countries where the infection rate is high, and living in an institution.[1][4] Tattooing and acupuncture led to a significant number of cases in the 1980s; however, this has become less common with improved sterilization.[10] The hepatitis B viruses cannot be spread by holding hands, sharing eating utensils, kissing, hugging, coughing, sneezing, or breastfeeding.[4] The infection can be diagnosed 30 to 60 days after exposure.
Hepatitis A is an infectious disease of the liver caused by Hepatovirus A (HAV);[6] it is a type of viral hepatitis.[7] Many cases have few or no symptoms, especially in the young.[1] The time between infection and symptoms, in those who develop them, is 2–6 weeks.[2] When symptoms occur, they typically last 8 weeks and may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, fever, and abdominal pain.
Causes
Eating food or drinking water contaminated with Hepatovirus A infected feces[1]
Hep C is a blood borne infection. Hepatitis C infected blood must enter the blood stream of an uninfected person.
Hep c is called a silent illness because most people have no symptoms.
When people do develop symptoms generally it is after decades of infection when liver damage may have begun to develop. Otherwise, the most common symptom of long term hep c infection is a felling of chronic tiredness.
For other forms of hepatitis I suggest you check with those other forums