Hepatitis A is an acute inflammation of the liver caused due to infection by hepatitis A virus. This is the milder disease than hepatitis B and C infections.
The hepatitis A infection is caused due to ingestion of contaminated food or water. The disease is transmitted by fecal-oral route. The infection may also be transmitted by parenteral route and also through blood and blood products, although it is rare.
The disease is most contagious before signs and symptoms ever appear. The time between infection and the appearance of the symptoms, (the incubation period), is between two and six weeks and the average incubation period is 28 days.
The disease is more prevalent in developing countries due to poor hygiene and inadequate sanitation facilities.
Having a hepatitis A infected person at home, having sex with the infected person, sharing needles with the infected person, poor hygiene and inadequate sanitation facilities are the risk factors for hepatitis A infection.
There may be symptoms of hepatitis A infection or there may be not be any symptoms at all particularly in children. The initial symptoms are like influenza. There may be nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fever (low grade), diarrhea, pale or clay colored feces, fatigue, depression, and itching, spiky pain in right upper quadrant, weight loss and yellowing of the skin and white portion of the eyes (jaundice).
The inflammation of liver can be diagnosed by physical examination wherein the liver can felt below the right lower ribs which is indicative of an enlarged liver.
Specifically hepatitis A infection can be diagnosed on the basis of detection anti HAV specific IgM antibodies in the blood. These are detected in blood from 1-2 weeks after the infection up to 14 weeks. If anti HAV IgG antibodies are detected then it is a marker of immunity against hepatitis A. Liver function tests can diagnose hepatitis. The liver enzyme alanine transferase levels are elevated during the course of disease and this is a marker for liver infection.
There is no treatment available for hepatitis A infection. The patients should take rest, avoid oily foods and alcohol. Adequate and balanced diet are recommended.
Generally there are no complications of hepatitis A. Fulminant hepatitis is a complication of hepatitis A which is life threatening but it is extremely rare.
The infection by hepatitis A in childhood creates life long immunity. Vaccination against hepatitis A, drinking only bottled water in hepatitis A prevalent areas, adequate sanitation and good hygienic practices can prevent the disease.
