Hepatitis A Health Article

Definition

Hepatitis A is inflammation (irritation and swelling) of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus.

See also:

• Hepatitis
• Hepatitis A vaccine
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C

Alternative Names

Viral hepatitis

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

The hepatitis A virus is found mostly in the stools and blood of an infected person about 15 - 45 days before symptoms occur and during the first week of illness.

You can catch hepatitis A if:

• You eat or drink food or water that has been contaminated by the virus (fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice, and water are common sources of the hepatitis A virus)
• You come in contact with the stool or blood of a person who currently has the disease
• A person with hepatitis A does not wash his or her hands properly after going to the bathroom and touches other objects or food
• You participate in sexual practices that involve oral-anal contact

There are about 100,000 hepatitis A infections in the United States every year.

Risk factors include:

• International travel, especially to Asia or South or Central America
• IV drug use
• Living in a nursing home or rehabilitation center
• Working in a health care, food, or sewage industry

Other common hepatitis virus infections include hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis A is the least serious and mildest of these diseases. The other hepatitis infections may become chronic illnesses, but hepatitis A does not become chronic.

Symptoms

Symptoms will usually show up 2 - 6 weeks after being exposed to the hepatitis A virus. They are usually mild, but may last for up to several months, especially in adults.

Symptoms include:

• Dark urine
• Fatigue
• Itching
• Loss of appetite
• Low-grade fever
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pale or clay-colored stools
• Yellow skin (jaundice)

Signs and tests

The doctor will perform a physical examination and may discover that you have an enlarged and tender liver.

Hepatitis serology tests may show:

• Raised IgM and IgG antibodies to hepatitis A (IgM is usually positive before IgG)
• Elevated liver enzymes (liver function tests)