Table 1.
Causes of acute viral hepatitis
| Incidence* (%) | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| HEV | 5 | Affects predominantly middle–aged and elderly males |
| Seronegative hepatitis [24] | 3 | Negative for all known causes of acute viral hepatitis |
| Occurs at all ages, including adolescents | ||
| May be caused by an as yet unidentified hepatotropic virus | ||
| EBV [25] | 3 | Surprisingly common, occurs at all ages |
| Mild hepatitis, but can be severe in elderly | ||
| <10% have symptoms of infectious mononucleosis | ||
| Diagnosis suggested by a combination of hepatitis, splenomegaly and lymphocytosis, which is present in 95% | ||
| HBV | 2 | ALT is usually higher (3–500 IU/L) than in HEV |
| HCV | <1 | Very uncommon |
| CMV | <1 | Very uncommon |
*
Incidence refers to the percentage of individuals with each infection from a cohort of 1,054 consecutive patients presenting to the JHL Clinic, Cornwall, UK 1998–2014.
HEV: hepatitis E; HAV: hepatitis A; HBC: hepatitis B; HCV: hepatitis C; CMV: cytomegalovirus; EBV: Epstein–Barr virus; ALT: alanine transaminase.