Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A
Other namesInfectious hepatitis
A case of jaundice caused by hepatitis A
SpecialtyInfectious disease, gastroenterology
SymptomsNausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dark urine, jaundice, fever, abdominal pain[1]
ComplicationsAcute liver failure[1]
Usual onset2–6 weeks after infection[2]
Duration8 weeks[1]
CausesFecal–oral route,[3] eating food or drinking water contaminated with Hepatovirus A infected feces,[1] sexual transmission through oro–anal and digital–rectal sexual acts.[3]
Diagnostic methodBlood tests[1]
PreventionHepatitis A vaccine, hand washing, properly cooking food[1][4]
TreatmentSupportive care, liver transplantation[1]
Frequency114 million symptomatic and nonsymptomatic (2015)[5]
Deaths11,200[6]

Hepatitis A is an infectious disease of the liver caused by Hepatovirus A (HAV);[7] it is a type of viral hepatitis.[8] Many cases have few or no symptoms, especially in the young.[1] The time between infection and symptoms, in those who develop them, is two–six weeks.[2] When symptoms occur, they typically last eight weeks and may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, fever, and abdominal pain.[1] Around 10–15% of people experience a recurrence of symptoms during the 6 months after the initial infection.[1] Acute liver failure may rarely occur, with this being more common in the elderly.[1]

It is usually spread by eating food or drinking water contaminated with infected feces.[1] Undercooked or raw shellfish are relatively common sources.[9] It may also be spread through close contact with an infectious person.[1] While children often do not have symptoms when infected, they are still able to infect others.[1] After a single infection, a person is immune for the rest of their life.[10] Diagnosis requires blood testing, as the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other diseases.[1] It is one of five known hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E.

The hepatitis A vaccine is effective for prevention.[11][12][13] [1][4][needs update] Some countries recommend it routinely for children and those at higher risk who have not previously been vaccinated.[1][14] It appears to be effective for life.[1] Other preventive measures include hand washing and properly cooking food.[1] No specific treatment is available, with rest and medications for nausea or diarrhea recommended on an as-needed basis.[1] Infections usually resolve completely and without ongoing liver disease.[1] Treatment of acute liver failure, if it occurs, is with liver transplantation.[1]

Globally, around 1.4 million symptomatic cases occur each year[1] and about 114 million infections (symptomatic and asymptomatic).[5] It is more common in regions of the world with poor sanitation and not enough safe water.[14] In the developing world, about 90% of children have been infected by age 10, thus are immune by adulthood.[14] It often occurs in outbreaks in moderately developed countries where children are not exposed when young and vaccination is not widespread.[14] Acute hepatitis A resulted in 11,200 deaths in 2015.[6] World Hepatitis Day occurs each year on July 28 to bring awareness to viral hepatitis.[14]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Matheny SC, Kingery JE (1 December 2012). "Hepatitis A." Am Fam Physician. 86 (11): 1027–34, quiz 1010–1012. PMID 23198670. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014.
  2. ^ a b Connor BA (2005). "Hepatitis A vaccine in the last-minute traveler". Am. J. Med. 118 (Suppl 10A): 58S–62S. doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2005.07.018. PMID 16271543.
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference pmid17151052 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b Irving GJ, Holden J, Yang R, Pope D (2012). "Hepatitis A immunisation in persons not previously exposed to hepatitis A." Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 7 (7): CD009051. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD009051.pub2. PMC 6823267. PMID 22786522.
  5. ^ a b GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators (8 October 2016). "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". The Lancet. 388 (10053): 1545–1602. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. PMC 5055577. PMID 27733282.
  6. ^ a b GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators (8 October 2016). "Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". The Lancet. 388 (10053): 1459–1544. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31012-1. PMC 5388903. PMID 27733281.
  7. ^ Ryan KJ, Ray CG, eds. (2004). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. pp. 541–4. ISBN 978-0-8385-8529-0.
  8. ^ "Hepatitis MedlinePlus". U.S. National Library of Medicine. Archived from the original on 2016-11-11. Retrieved 2020-06-19.
  9. ^ Bellou M, Kokkinos P, Vantarakis A (March 2013). "Shellfish-borne viral outbreaks: a systematic review". Food Environ Virol. 5 (1): 13–23. doi:10.1007/s12560-012-9097-6. PMID 23412719. S2CID 16273385.
  10. ^ The Encyclopedia of Hepatitis and Other Liver Diseases. Infobase. 2006. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-8160-6990-3. Archived from the original on 2017-09-08.
  11. ^ "Hepatitis A outbreaks bring back focus on vaccination in Kerala". thehindu. 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  12. ^ "Viral hepatitis could cause liver cancer: Here's what you need to know about prevention and treatment". theeconomictimes. 2023. Archived from the original on 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  13. ^ "Indian Immunologicals unveils indigenously developed Hepatitis A vaccine". theeconomictimes. 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-03-20. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
  14. ^ a b c d e "Hepatitis A Fact sheet N°328". World Health Organization. July 2013. Archived from the original on 21 February 2014. Retrieved 20 February 2014.