Final answer:
Viral infections like hepatitis often show elevated liver enzymes on labs, while bacterial infections tend to show signs of infection such as a raised white blood cell count. Hepatitis involves liver inflammation with varying severity and may become chronic, like in hepatitis C, leading to serious long-term complications.
Step-by-step explanation:
Viral infections like hepatitis would predominantly have elevated liver enzymes (such as alkaline phosphatase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and bilirubin levels), as compared to bacterial infection which would predominantly have signs of infection or inflammation (like elevated white blood cell count) on labs. Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, and signs and symptoms can vary depending on the viral cause, ranging from mild or asymptomatic to severe.
Laboratory testing for hepatitis typically includes a liver panel and serological tests to detect antibodies specific to the hepatitis viruses. In chronic viral diseases like hepatitis C, the immune response may be weak, allowing the virus to persist and replicate at low levels, often without causing symptoms initially, but with a risk of long-term complications such as liver cancer.