Hepatitis

Viral hepatitis causes fever, nausea, liver enlargement and tenderness, jaundice, pale stools and loss of appetite. Fifty percent of cases are due to hepatitis A, whereas hepatitis B is considered a sexually transmitted disease (contact with contaminated body fluids). It is important to note that hepatitis B can be transmitted in health care facilities where exposure to sharp instruments with contaminated blood is a possibility. That is why many health care workers, particularly in hospitals, are encouraged to receive hepatitis B vaccinations prior to employment.