People who are at risk of being infected with hepatitis B or C include health care workers, people with multiple sex partners, intravenous drug users, and hemophiliacs. Anyone who has had a tattoo, body piercing, or a blood transfusion (prior to routine screening of donated blood that began in 1972 for hepatitis B and 1990 for hepatitis C) and those who are in close household contact with an infected person are also at higher risk of being infected. Hepatitis B or C can even be transmitted by sharing toothbrushes or nail files contaminated with infected blood- although these forms of transmission rarely occur.

Infants born to HBV-infected mothers can contract the virus in up to 90% of cases, but HCV is only rarely spread from mother to baby at the time of delivery. However, approximately one third or more of hepatitis A, B, and C cases result from unknown sources. This means that you do not necessarily have to be among the "high risk" groups to become infected with these viruses.

Next section: How Viral Hepatitis is Transmitted