Overview of Acute Viral Hepatitis By Sonal Kumar, MD, MPH, Weill Cornell Medical College Reviewed / Revised Aug 2022 | Modified Sep 2022 View Patient Education Etiology Symptoms and Signs Diagnosis Treatment Prevention Key Points Topic Resources Simplified diagnostic approach... Characteristics of Hepatitis... Overview of Viral Hepatitis Acute viral hepatitis is diffuse liver inflammation caused by specific hepatotropic viruses that have diverse modes of transmission and epidemiologies.