What is biliary atresia? Biliary atresia is a chronic, progressive liver problem that becomes evident shortly after birth. Tubes in the liver, called bile ducts, normally allow a liquid produced by the liver called bile to drain into the intestines and kidneys. Bile aids in digestion and carries waste products from the liver to the intestine and kidneys for excretion. In biliary atresia, bile ducts in the liver are blocked. When the bile is unable to leave the liver through the bile ducts, the liver becomes damaged and many vital body functions are affected.
Hepatitis is most often caused by one of several viruses, which is why it is often called viral hepatitis. The most common types of viral hepatitis in the United States are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.epatitis A only causes acute infection. Hepatitis viruses B and C can cause both acute and chronic infections. Chronic hepatitis B and C are serious health problems. They can lead to: 1  Cirrhosis (suh-ROH-suhs). 2  Liver failure.
Hepatitis A. The hepatitis A virus (HAV) causes a liver disease in humans now known as hepatitis A (historically known as infectious jaundice, viral hepatitis and infectious hepatitis). There are a number of different hepatitis viruses but only HAV, and possibly the hepatitis E virus, can cause foodborne disease.Hepatitis A is usually spread when HAV is ingested following contact with objects, food or drinks contaminated by the faeces of an infected person.As an enteric virus, hepatitis A shares some characteristics with norovirus.orovirus is the name given to a group of related viruses that were first described following an outbreak of gastroenteritis in a school in Norwalk, Ohio in 1968. They are highly infectious enteric viruses â fewer than 100 virus particles can cause infection (1) â and are the major cause of gastroenteritis in humans.