Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). HAV is found in the stool and blood of people who are infected. Hepatitis A is very contagious. It is spread when someone unknowingly ingests the virus — even in microscopic amounts — through close personal contact with an infected person or through eating contaminated food or drink. Symptoms of hepatitis A can last up to 2 months and include fatigue, nausea, stomach pain, and jaundice. Most people with hepatitis A do not have long-lasting illness. The best way to prevent hepatitis A is to get vaccinated.
| Detailed Information |
| Disease Name |
Hepatitis A |
| Virus Name |
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) |
| Capsid Symmetry |
Icosahedral |
| Capsid Naked/Enveloped |
Naked |
| Family |
Picornaviridae |
| Genus |
Hepatovirus |
| Genome |
Single-stranded positive-sense RNA |
| Proteome |
16 non-structural, 9 accessory and 4 structural proteins |
| Antigenic Target |
HAV capsid, Genotype I, II, III |
| Incubation Period |
Approximately 28 days (range 15 to 50 days) |
| Zoonotic Evidence |
No |
| Host |
Human |
| Chronology_Time |
1979 |
| Regions Affected |
Worldwide |
| Susceptible Age Group |
Adults age 20 through 39 years |
| Transmission Route |
Fecal-oral |
| Symptoms |
Fatigue, nausea,jaundice, abdominal pain, loss of appetite and low-grade fever |
| Co-infection |
HIV |
| Genome Reference |
Genome Link |
| Proteome Reference |
Proteome Link |
| References |
Reference 1 |