the term "hepatitis" simply means inflammation of the liver. hepatitis may be caused by a virus or a toxin such as alcohol. other viruses that can cause injury to liver cells include the hepatitis a and hepatitis c viruses. these viruses are not related to each other or to hepatitis b virus and differ in their structure the ways they are spread among individuals the severity of symptoms they can cause the way they are treated and the outcome of the infection.
what is hepatitis?