/ ˌhepəˈtaɪtɪs; NAmE / noun
[ U ] a serious disease of the liver . There are three main forms: hepatitis A (the least serious, caused by infected food), hepatitis B and hepatitis C (both very serious and caused by infected blood).
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WORD ORIGIN
early 18th cent.: modern Latin , from Greek hēpar , hēpat- liver + -itis .