Hepatitis A, or HAV, is an acute viral infection of the liver. Symptoms of liver infection include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, exhaustion, jaundice and pain in the right upper abdomen. HAV is caused by the transmission and ingestion of microscopic...
Hepatitis C is a virus that affects the liver and is passed through contact with contaminated blood. Patients, however, usually do not display symptoms when they first contract hepatitis C. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) notes that when...
Human liver flukes are parasitic worms called trematodes. Infections typically occur from eating infected raw or undercooked freshwater fish or watercress. After ingestion, liver flukes travel from the intestine to the bile ducts of the liver...
Dark urine and weight loss occurring together are symptoms that should not be ignored; both of these can indicate serious medical conditions, usually involving the liver or kidneys. Normal urine is the color of yellow straw, and doctors generally...
Bacterial, viral, fungal and parasitic diseases exist on the skin and in mucus, blood and other body fluids. Some germs are transferred through inhalation and others are obtained by touch. The transfer of fecal-to-oral diseases occurs when an...
Hepatitis is the inflammation, or irritation, of the liver by a chemical or microorganism such as hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C infection typically spreads by contamination of blood or by sexual contact. It's common in people who inject drugs,...
Hep C, or hepatitis C, is a viral infection of the liver associated with symptoms like jaundice. However, the virus may cause no external symptoms while slowly deteriorating the liver for 20 to 30 years. The virus transmits via contact with...
AIDS (autoimmune deficiency syndrome) is a condition in which the cells that defend the body called CD4 lymphocytes reach a level of 200 or lower. Symptoms of AIDS include night sweats, a dry cough, blurry vision, shortness of breath, chronic...
Parasites are organisms living inside a host. Parasites harm humans in many ways. They consume your food and nutrients, damage your cells and tissues, and produce toxic wastes that can make you sick. About 50 percent of Americans are infected with...
Tapeworms belong to a group of worms called cestodes. They are found in Asia and Africa and occur in areas with poor sanitation. Humans become infected when they consume eggs and larvae of the tapeworm host. Tapeworms species include...
Hepatitis C is a viral infection of the liver contracted by coming in contact with an infected individual's blood. Effects of Hepatitis C result from an inflammation of the liver interfering with its normal function of waste product removal,...
A person who has a sucrose intolerance cannot digest sucrose, a sugar found in many foods, including fruits. The malabsorption syndrome is termed congenital sucrase-isomaltase ceficiency, or CSID, and may result from a genetic mutation. Symptoms...
Liver damage in infants can occur from a number of causes. Liver damage can be related to chronic disease, such as biliary atresia, or may develop acutely, occurring suddenly and severely from genetic diseases or infection. Symptoms of liver...
Hepatitis is an inflammatory liver disease primarily caused by one of three viruses: hepatitis A, B or C. The early warning signs of hepatitis are similar regardless of the type of virus by which a person is infected. Approximately 50 percent of...
The Mayo Clinic describes hepatitis C as a viral infection that specifically attacks the liver. They also report that most people infected with the virus are unaware of their infection, and have no symptoms. However, asymptomatic infected persons...
Roundworms, also known as nematodes, are a common cause of human parasitic infestations worldwide. Pinworms are the only common roundworm infestation in the U.S. Other roundworms including hookworms, threadworms, whipworms, Ascaris and Trichinella...
Hepatitis B is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus. The disease can be fatal due to the damage to the liver (cirrhosis), or because of subsequent liver cancer, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Most of the common...
Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms that are located in the blood and other bodily fluids that can cause disease and illness. Bloodborne pathogens can be spread from person to person through contact with contaminated blood and sexual...
Liver problems in children are often related to either infection or inflammation, causing what is known as hepatitis. Infection is often caused by viruses, most commonly the hepatitis family of viruses. The most common hepatitis viruses are...
Your liver helps filter toxic waste products out of your body. Steatosis is a type of liver condition that occurs when excess amounts of fat accumulate inside your liver cells. The most common cause of fatty liver in the United States is alcohol...
Hepatitis B is an infection of the liver by the hepatitis B virus, or HBV. Infection occurs through contact with bodily fluids, including blood, vaginal fluids and semen, and an infected mother may pass the virus to her child during childbirth....
The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse declares that 4.1 million Americans are affected with hepatitis C, a deadly virus of the liver that is transmitted through blood. There is no cure for hepatitis C. According to...
Maintaining a healthy diet is important when you have liver disease, including hepatitis C. Hepatitis C is a type of liver disease that occurs upon infection with the hepatitis C virus, or HCV. Symptoms of this condition include fatigue, fever,...
Spirulina, a blue-green algae supplement, is sold by health and natural food stores as a potential treatment for various health conditions including heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes. The supplement also reportedly boosts immunity and...
Malaria is a disease caused by blood-borne parasites from Plasmodium organisms. It is contracted from the bites of contaminated mosquitoes and is endemic in tropical parts of the world. Amodiaquine is a member of the 4-aminoquinolone family of...
Liver damage most commonly occurs through a process called cirrhosis. During this process, normal liver tissue becomes damaged and dies. In its place new tough scar tissue grows but has limited functionality compared with healthy tissue. When...
Liver problems can cause symptoms such as abdominal pain, nausea, and a decrease in appetite and weight loss. Although several diseases and conditions can affect this complex organ, liver disease can be inherited as well. According to...
Viral hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by infection with a virus. Acute infections are typically thought of as those with a fairly rapid onset and a relatively short duration. Several different viruses are responsible for the majority...
Hepatitis C is a virus that causes inflammation and damage to the liver. Although the initial viral infection rarely causes any serious symptoms, hepatitis C can cause a chronic infection that damages the liver. The National Institute of Allergy...