What is hepatitis?
Hepatitis is a disease characterized by inflammation of the liver. "Hepatitis" is a general term that refers to any inflammation of the liver.
Many illnesses and conditions that cause inflammation of the liver. In order to answer the question of whether or not hepatitis is contagious, these illnesses will be broken into two categories; infectious and noninfectious hepatitis.
Symptoms of Hepatitis C
Most people with hepatitis C don't have any symptoms when they acquire
the hepatitis C virus infection, however, about 1/4th of those infected will have
symptoms like
- abdominal pain,
- fatigue,
- fever,
- joint pains,
- loss of appetite,
- nausea, and
- vomiting.
Is hepatitis contagious?

The hepatitis virus damages the liver.
Infectious causes of hepatitis usually are, but not always, contagious. For example, hepatitis caused by viruses usually is contagious, although many types of hepatitis are transferred mainly from person to person by blood-to-blood transfer, for example, individual sharing needles, acupuncture, sexual contact, and organ transplantation.
Some infectious parasites (such as Plasmodium spp, Schistosoma spp) cause hepatitis in individuals, but are not contagious person to person.
Most noninfectious causes of hepatitis are not contagious. Hepatitis caused by alcohol poisoning, medications, or toxins or poisons are not transmitted from person to person.
Therefore, the answer to the question "Is hepatitis contagious?" depends upon the type of hepatitis.
How long does it take before symptoms of hepatitis begin?
In general, the incubation period from time of initial viral infection to development of symptoms ranges widely from about two weeks to six months.
SLIDESHOW
Hepatitis C, Hep B, Hep A: Symptoms, Causes, Treatment
See Slideshow
What are the symptoms and signs of hepatitis?
Symptoms of hepatitis vary somewhat depending on the type of hepatitis. Most types of infectious hepatitis that are contagious may have slowly developing symptoms, for example:
Symptoms of hepatitis that develop from noncontagious causes (such as alcoholic hepatitis) may have very similar symptoms described above. Noncontagious hepatitis also may cause increased abdominal size and fluid in the abdomen. The time to develop symptoms may take months to years, but may develop quickly (days) in some toxin-induced hepatitis. A health-care professional can order tests to help determine the underlying cause of a person's hepatitis symptoms.
Serious or severe symptoms of hepatitis (for all types) may include:
What is the treatment and cure for hepatitis?
Treatments for contagious hepatitis types vary according to the underlying cause and type of hepatitis. Most individuals are contagious about one to two weeks before symptoms appear. Depending upon the type of hepatitis, they can remain contagious for an extended length of time. For example, people with hepatitis A are contagious for at least two weeks after the onset of symptoms, but for hepatitis C and other types of hepatitis, individuals may not be cured of hepatitis and are contagious unless specific treatments occur.
In general, it takes about six months for the liver to recover from "cured" hepatitis A in most individuals. With other hepatitis types, patients may not be cured (or even know they have the disease) for many years.
With noncontagious hepatitis, again the "cure" is dependent upon treatment of the underlying cause. If the underlying cause is "cured," the liver function may or may not improve.
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When should you contact doctor if you think you have hepatitis?
Fortunately, for some types of hepatitis (for example, hepatitis A), there are preventative treatments. Consequently, if a person suspects that they may have been recently exposed to any type of infectious hepatitis, they should contact their health-care professional quickly to prevent liver damage.
If a person has the following symptoms for days, they should seek medical care urgently.
If a person known to have infectious hepatitis develops severe nausea and vomiting with abdominal pain and/or mental status changes, they should be evaluated in an Emergency Department.
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Medically Reviewed on 4/14/2020
References
Hepatitis A Questions and Answers for the Public. CDC. Updated: Sep 10, 2019.
<http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/afaq.htm>
Viral Hepatitis. CDC. Updated: Apr 08, 2020.
<http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/>