Hepatitis A, B, and C: Symptoms, Differences, and Outlook

Hepatitis A

Typically causes mild, self-limiting illness lasting 2–4 weeks. Symptoms may include fatigue, nausea/vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain, and fever. No chronic infection.

Hepatitis B

Can range from mild to severe. Acute hepatitis B symptoms resemble hepatitis A but may progress to liver failure, kidney failure, or death. Chronic hepatitis B (persisting >6 months) can cause fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, dark urine, light stools, joint pain, fever, and long-term complications: liver damage, cirrhosis, and liver cancer.

Hepatitis C

Often asymptomatic in early stages. Chronic hepatitis C (majority of infections) may cause fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, dark urine, light stools, joint pain, fever, and progressive liver damage leading to cirrhosis and liver cancer.

Key Differences

Feature	Hep A	Hep B	Hep C
Transmission	Fecal-oral	Blood, sexual, perinatal	Blood (primarily)
Chronic infection	No	Yes (5–10% adults)	Yes (75–85%)
Vaccine available	Yes	Yes	No

Vaccines prevent hepatitis A and B. Hepatitis C is curable with direct-acting antivirals. Early diagnosis and management are crucial for all types.