Quick Answer

There are more than three, but three are the main kinds: hepatitis A, B and C are separate viruses with different transmission routes. Hepatitis A spreads fecal-orally through contaminated food or water, while hepatitis B and C spread through blood, and B also through sexual contact. Hepatitis D and E also exist but are less common.

  • Hepatitis A spreads fecal-orally, usually through contaminated food or water
  • Hepatitis B spreads through blood, sex, and from mother to newborn
  • Hepatitis C spreads mainly through blood, and rarely through sex
  • Hepatitis A is an acute illness and does not become chronic
  • Hepatitis B and C can persist and slowly scar the liver
  • Hepatitis D only infects people who already carry hepatitis B

Context Most Pages Skip

The habit of grouping hepatitis into three kinds is a useful shorthand, and it comes from how the viruses spread rather than from how sick they make a person. Hepatitis A travels the fecal-oral route, so it clusters around shared food, water and sanitation. Hepatitis B and C travel in blood and body fluids, so they cluster around needles, transfusions, childbirth and sex. That single difference - the route the virus takes to enter a new person - shapes who is at risk, how outbreaks begin and which prevention tools actually work. It also explains why vaccination protects against A and B but not against C.

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⚕️ This page is educational and does not replace advice from a licensed clinician. If you may have been exposed to an STI, get tested — most infections are manageable, and many are fully curable.

Sources & Further Reading

Figures reflect CDC surveillance and WHO estimates; they are population statistics, not personal risk predictions.