Patient's question:
What is viral hepatitis? Is it highly contagious? What are the consequences if it is not treated in time?Doctor's answer:
Viral hepatitis is an infectious disease characterized primarily by liver damage caused by different hepatitis viruses. The most common forms of viral hepatitis currently are hepatitis A (acute jaundice hepatitis), hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Viral infections are highly contagious, for example, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. If not treated promptly, liver damage can be very severe, potentially progressing to cirrhosis within a short period, and further to liver cancer, which is the third stage of viral hepatitis progression. Of course, if someone is simply a carrier of the virus, they may remain asymptomatic for life and require no treatment.