Gastroenterology Consultants,SC: Diseases of the GI tract HEPATITIS C [<<back | list all>>] Hepatitis C is caused by a virus (medically abbreviated as HCV). This type of viral hepatitis is different from the others in an important way. All patients with hepatitis A and most with hepatitis B develop an acute infection, recover completely and develop antibodies that protect them from ever getting the disease again. However, once HCV is inside the body it changes its form to evade discovery and attack by the immune system.