6 types of the disease and how you can catch them
■ Hepatitis is the term used to describe inflammation of the liver and is usually the result of a viral infection or liver damage caused by drinking too much alcohol.
■ There are different types of hepatitis with different causes. Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E are all caused by viruses.
■ Non-A-E hepatitis is diagnosed when there is swelling of the liver, but examination and testing does not identify a cause.
■ Symptoms of non-A-E hepatitis may include feeling tired or unwell, nausea, vomiting, pain in the abdomen and fever.
■ Non-A-E hepatitis usually goes away on its own, but it can become a chronic condition in some people.
■ The cause of non-A-E hepatitis has not yet been discovered.
■ Some researchers suggest there may be several unidentified viruses that cause this disease.
■ Each year around seven or eight cases of non-A-E hepatitis are detected in children in Scotland which is why the current outbreak has triggered a public health probe, with 13 cases since January.
■ Other strains of hepatitis have known causes.
■ The hepatitis A virus is spread through faeces. Usually caught by consuming contaminated food or drink. Common in countries where sanitation is poor.
■ Hepatitis B is not common in the UK. It is usually spread from infected pregnant women to their babies, or by child-to-child contact.
■ Hepatitis C is spread through infected blood, eg drug users sharing needles, and is the most common type of viral hepatitis in the UK.
■ Hepatitis D only affects people already infected with hepatitis B. Spread through blood and sexual contact, uncommon in the UK.
■ Hepatitis E can be caught by eating undercooked or raw meat. Generally a mild infection that does not require any treatment, but can be serious in people with a weakened immune system. .
■ Alcoholic hepatitis is caused by heavy drinking over many years.
■ Autoimmune hepatitis is a rare form of long-term hepatitis in which the immune system attacks and damages the liver.