About 90% of children do not have symptoms. Symptoms typically appear 2–6 weeks (the incubation period) after the initial infection. Įarly symptoms of hepatovirus A infection can be mistaken for influenza, but some sufferers, especially children, exhibit no symptoms at all. World Hepatitis Day occurs each year on July 28 to bring awareness to viral hepatitis. Acute hepatitis A resulted in 11,200 deaths in 2015. It often occurs in outbreaks in moderately developed countries where children are not exposed when young and vaccination is not widespread. In the developing world, about 90% of children have been infected by age 10, thus are immune by adulthood. It is more common in regions of the world with poor sanitation and not enough safe water. Globally, around 1.4 million symptomatic cases occur each year and about 114 million infections (symptomatic and asymptomatic).
Treatment of acute liver failure, if it occurs, is with liver transplantation. Infections usually resolve completely and without ongoing liver disease. No specific treatment is available, with rest and medications for nausea or diarrhea recommended on an as-needed basis. Other preventive measures include hand washing and properly cooking food. Some countries recommend it routinely for children and those at higher risk who have not previously been vaccinated. The hepatitis A vaccine is effective for prevention. It is one of five known hepatitis viruses: A, B, C, D, and E. Diagnosis requires blood testing, as the symptoms are similar to those of a number of other diseases. After a single infection, a person is immune for the rest of his or her life. While children often do not have symptoms when infected, they are still able to infect others. It may also be spread through close contact with an infectious person. Undercooked or raw shellfish are relatively common sources. It is usually spread by eating food or drinking water contaminated with infected feces. Acute liver failure may rarely occur, with this being more common in the elderly.
Around 10–15% of people experience a recurrence of symptoms during the 6 months after the initial infection. When symptoms occur, they typically last 8 weeks and may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, jaundice, fever, and abdominal pain. The time between infection and symptoms, in those who develop them, is 2–6 weeks.
Many cases have few or no symptoms, especially in the young. Hepatitis A is an infectious disease of the liver caused by Hepatovirus A (HAV) it is a type of viral hepatitis. Supportive care, liver transplantation ġ14 million symptomatic and nonsymptomatic (2015) Hepatitis A vaccine, hand washing, properly cooking food Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dark urine, jaundice, fever, abdominal pain Įating food or drinking water contaminated with Hepatovirus A infected feces