Final answer:
Hepatitis is liver inflammation often caused by viruses like HAV, HBV, HCV, HDV, and HEV or toxins. Symptoms include jaundice, malaise, and abdominal pain. Chronic infection can lead to liver failure or cancer.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver with several possible causes, including viral infections. The most clinically significant viruses that cause hepatitis are hepatitis viruses A (HAV), B (HBV), C (HCV), D (HDV), and E (HEV). Additionally, it can be caused by toxins such as alcohol, acetaminophen poisoning, or through hereditary conditions like haemochromatosis. Other effects of liver disease include jaundice, which is characterized by yellowing of the skin and eyes, and complications such as hepatic encephalopathy due to liver dysfunction.
A chronic liver failure can occur from conditions such as cirrhosis which might be due to excessive alcohol intake or chronic viral infections from hepatitis B or C. Symptoms of hepatitis can involve malaise, dark urine, abdominal pain, vomiting, and jaundice. If untreated or in severe cases, hepatitis may increase the risk of liver cancer or lead to chronic liver damage.