Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is the inflammation of the liver from the hepatitis A virus. Compared to Hepatitis B and C,
Hepatitis A is the least serious and mildest of these diseases because Hepatitis B and C may become chronic illnesses but Hepatitis A will not.                          

A brief introduction of the Hepatitis A virus (HAV)..

• Group IV Virus
• Positive-sense ssRNA virus
• Belongs to the Picornaviridae family
  - Non-enveloped
  - Contains positive single-stranded RNA packed in a icosahedral capsid  
  What are the symptoms of Hepatitis A?
  Symptoms will normally appear 2 to 6 weeks after the initial infection. These symptoms are mild and may last for a few months for adult sufferers but children sufferers may not show these symptoms at all. Symptoms usually subside after 2 months, but in severe cases, the person may be sick for as long as 6 months.
  

   Symptoms include :

  
  • Fatigue
  • Fever
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite
  • Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes)
  • Dark urine (Bile is removed from bloodstream and excreted in urine)
  • Pale or clay-colored stools
    
    
    

  What causes a person to be infected with HAV?
  

  • Eating food or drinkingwater that has been contaminated by stools (faeces) containing the hepatitis A virus (fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice, and water are common sources of HAV)
  • Ingestion of shellfish reared in polluted water
  • Coming into contact with an infected person's blood or stools
  • A person infected with HAV does not wash his or her hands properly after going to the bathroom and touches other objects or food
  • Participating in sexual practices that involve oral-anal contact

  
  Any treatment available for sufferers?
  There are currently no specific treatment for Hepatitis A. Sufferers are advised to have plenty of rest, eat a well-balanced diet, stay hydrated and avoid alcohol and fatty foods as these may be poorly tolerated by the body and may induce vomiting.
  
  However, Hepatitis A vaccine is available to protect a person against Hepatitis A but not from other kinds of hepatitis. A person should be protected against the disease within 2 - 4 weeks after getting the first dose. After receiving the first vaccination, children and adults should have a booster vaccination in 6 to 12 months. A vaccine called Twinrix protects adults against both hepatitis A and B and it is given in three doses. Hepatitis A vaccination is recommended for all children older than age 1.
  
  
  How to reduce the risk of contracting or spreading the virus?
  

  • Always wash your hands thoroughly after using the restroom and when you come in contact with an infected person's blood, stools, or other bodily fluid.
  • Avoid unclean food and water.

  
  
  To reduce the spread of HAV, let's all take a more proactive stand to practice proper hand washing and if you have yet to get the vaccination, be sure to do so as soon as possible!
  
  
  

  Jayme.

  
  
  References :
  

  • Retrieved from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hepatitis_A
    

  • Retrieved from : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001323/ 

  1. Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Recommended immunization schedules for children, adolescents, and adults -- United States, 2010 (accessed November 9, 2010).
  2. Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Update: Prevention of hepatitis A after exposure to hepatitis A virus and in international travelers. Updated recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2007;56:1080-1084.
  3. Hoofnagle JH. Acute viral hepatitis. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 151.
  4. Sjogren MH, Cheatham JG. Hepatitis A. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2010:chap 77.
  5. Victor JC, Monto AS, Surdina TY, Suleimenova SZ, Vaughan G, Nainan OV, Favorov MO, Margolis HS, Bell BP. Hepatitis A vaccine versus immune globulin for postexposure prophylaxis. N Engl J Med. 2007;357:1685-1694.

  
  

  Review Date: 10/16/2011.

  
  

  Reviewed by: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc. and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California.

  
  

  • Retrieved from : http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0004427/ 

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2012 immunization schedules for children 0 to 18 years of age. October 25, 2011.
  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Recommended adult immunization schedule. United States. 2011 Proposed Revisions, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. October 28, 2010.

  
  

  Review Date: 10/16/2011.

  
  

  Reviewed by: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.