| hepatitis viruses | Any of the viruses that cause inflammation of the liver. They include both DNA and RNA viruses as well viruses from humans and animals. (12 Dec 1998) |
|---|---|
| serum hepatitis | <virology> A form of viral hepatitis, known as serum hepatitis, because it is commonly spread through contact with infected blood products (transfusion). May also be spread sexually or from mother to infant. Hepatitis B can cause a much more severe infection than hepatitis A and can occur as an asymptomatic carrier state, a chronic infection or as cirrhosis of the liver. Those at risk (IV drug abusers, health care workers, dialysis patients, transfusion recipients, homosexuals) should be immunised with hepatitis B vaccine. The virus is 42nm diameter, with an outer sheath enclosing inner 27nm core particle containing the circular viral DNA. Aggregates of the envelope proteins are found in plasma and are referred to as hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg, previously called Australia antigen). The virus can persist for long periods (and in asymptomatic carriers), association of integrated virus with hepatocellular carcinoma is now well established. (27 Sep 1997) |
| serum hepatitis virus | The type species of the genus orthohepadnavirus which causes human hepatitis b and is also apparently a causal agent in human hepatocellular carcinoma. The dane particle is an intact hepatitis virion, named after its discoverer. Non-infectious spherical and tubular particles are also seen in the serum. (12 Dec 1998) |
| short incubation hepatitis | A virus disease with a short incubation period (usually 15 to 50 days), caused by hepatitis A virus, a member of the family Picornaviridae, often transmitted by faecal-oral route; may be inapparent, mild, severe, or occasionally fatal and occurs sporadically or in epidemics, commonly in school-age children and young adults; necrosis of periportal liver cells with lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltration is characteristic and jaundice is a common symptom. Synonym: epidemic hepatitis, hepatitis A, infectious hepatitis, MS-1 hepatitis, short incubation hepatitis, virus A hepatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| NANB hepatitis | Hepatitis caused by two or more infectious agents not detectable by methods that reveal the presence of hepatitis viruses A and B; one cause, now called type C hepatitis has been identified; may follow blood transfusion and is often seen in chronic renal dialysis patients. Synonym: NANB hepatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| neonatal hepatitis | Hepatitis in the neonatal period presumed to be due to a variety of causes, chiefly viral; characterised by direct and indirect bilirubinaemia, hepatocellular degeneration, and appearance of multinucleated giant cells; may be difficult to distinguish from biliary atresia, but is more likely to end with recovery, although cirrhosis may develop. Synonym: giant cell hepatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| subacute hepatitis | <pathology> This is a form of continuing liver inflammation that results in liver cell death. Causes include viral infection (hepatitis D, hepatitis B, hepatitis C), autoimmune disease, drug ingestion or metabolic causes. Chronic active hepatitis will lead to hepatic failure and death in a small percentage of these patients. (27 Sep 1997) |
| non-A, non-B hepatitis | Hepatitis caused by two or more infectious agents not detectable by methods that reveal the presence of hepatitis viruses A and B; one cause, now called type C hepatitis has been identified; may follow blood transfusion and is often seen in chronic renal dialysis patients. Synonym: NANB hepatitis. (05 Mar 2000) |
| non-A, non-B hepatitis virus | Term used to group any of a number of viruses, other than A or B, which cause hepatitis in humans. (05 Mar 2000) |
| non-A, non-B, non-C hepatitis | Hepatitis caused by viral organisms other than hepatitis viruses A, B or C. (05 Mar 2000) |
| suppurative hepatitis | Hepatitis with abscess formation; often amoebic in origin. (05 Mar 2000) |
| delta hepatitis | Acute or chronic hepatitis caused by the hepatitis delta virus, a defective RNA virus requiring HBV for replication. The acute type occurs in two forms: 1) coinfection, the simultaneous occurrence of hepatitis B virus and hepatitis delta virus infections, which usually is self-limiting; 2) superinfection, the appearance of hepatitis delta virus infection in a hepatitis B virus carrier, which often leads to chronic hepatitis The chronic type appears to be more severe than other types of viral hepatitis. Synonym: delta hepatitis, hepatitis D. (05 Mar 2000) |
| drug-induced hepatitis | <hepatology, pathology> Inflammation and hepatocellular damage of the liver that is caused by a drug. Some medications may cause inflammation of the liver as a drug side effect or drug toxicity. Drugs that are known to cause hepatitis include acetaminophen, isoniazid, halothane, methyldopa, erythromycin and oral contraceptives. (27 Sep 1997) |
| duck hepatitis virus | A DNA virus of the genus Hepadnavirus, in the family Hepadnaviridae, causing virus hepatitis of ducks. (05 Mar 2000) |
| duck viral hepatitis | An acute, highly contagious disease of young ducklings caused by an enterovirus and characterised by lethargy, spasmodic paddling and rapid death. (05 Mar 2000) |