Causes

Acute Hepatitis is caused by the following:

• Viral Hepatitis: Hepatitis A through E (more than 95% of viral cause), herpes simplex,cytomegalovirus, epstein- barr, yellow fever virus, adenoviruses.
• Non viral infection: Toxoplasma, leptospira, Q fever, rocky mountain spotted fever.
• Alcohol.
• Toxins: Amanitatoxin in mushrooms, carbon tetrachloride, asafetida.
• Drugs: Paracetamol, amoxycillin, antituberculosis medicines, minocycline and others.
• Ischemic Hepatitis (circulatory insufficiency).
• Pregnancy.
• Auto immune conditions e.g. Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE).
• Metabolic diseases e.g. Wilson's disease.

Chronic hepatitis is caused by the following:

• Viral hepatitis: Hepatitis B with or without hepatitis D, Hepatitis C (Hepatitis A and E do not lead to chronic disease).
• Autoimmune: Autoimmune Hepatitis.
• Alcohol.
• Drugs: methyldopa, nitrofurantoin, isoniazid, ketoconazole.
• Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.
• Heredity: Wilson's disease, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency.
• Primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis occasionally mimic chronic Hepatitis.