is a worldwide, acute self-limited disease transmitted
via the fecal-oral route.
Hepatitis A virus
HAV is primarily detected in _____ feces and infects people via the
fecal–oral route.
Contaminated feces
Outbreaks occur primarily in cases of_______.
poor sanitation
Risk Factors for Acquiring HAV:
- International Travelers to endemic areas
- Shellfish infected with HAV
- Daycare centers or household contacts with ppl infected with HAV
- HealthCare workers
- IV drug users using unsterilized needles
- Workers involved with nonhuman primates
- Food service handlers
- Patients with clotting factor disorders
- Individuals residing in healthcare institutions
Structure?
- single-stranded RNA virus.
- Primary host? Human
Main site for viral replication
- Hepatic cells
As part of the viral degradation process, the HAV is released into the biliary
system causing
elevated concentration of the virus in the feces
Can Hepatitis A develop into chronic infection?
No; Its self-limiting
However, may rarely result in fulminant hepatitis
Symptoms?
- Usually Asymptomatic
- However, Symptomatic Patients: A flu-like syndrome (fevers,
fatigue/malaise), anorexia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dark urine, paleappearing stools, pruritus, and abdominal pain, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly
In fulminant hepatitis with hepatic encephalopathy, patients may experience
Coma and Asterixis
Extra-hepatic symptoms?
arthritis, postcervical
lymphadenopathy, palmar erythema, cryoglobulinemia, and vasculitis.
Diagnosis of Viral Hepatitis
- Difficult cz ppl are asymptomatic
- Lab Serologies
- Liver function tests
the definitive test to determine the
amount of damage and inflammation of hepatic cells is a
liver Biopsy
The diagnosis of hepatitis A is made by detecting
immunoglobulin antibodies
to the capsid proteins of the HAV.
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LOOK AT FIGURE PG.5
IgM appears approximately
3 weeks after exposure and becomes undetectable within 6 months
When does IgG anti-HAV appear?
- appears in the serum at approximately the same
time IgM anti-HAV
What does IgG anti-HAV indicate?
protection and lifelong immunity
against hepatitis A.
The majority of people infected with HAV can be expected to fully recover
without ________
clinical sequelae
Nearly all individuals will have clinical resolution within _____months of the
infection, and a majority will have done so by 2 months.
6
The ultimate goal of therapy is:
- Complete clinical resolution;
-Reducing complications from the infection;
-Normalization of liver function;
-Reducing infectivity and transmission.
-Prevention of HAV infection is important because significant costs are
accrued during acute HAV infections, from both direct costs of
hospitalizations and indirect costs from loss of work days.
Treatment?
- No specific treatment
- Need supportive care
- Prevention and Prophylaxis are key to manage the virus
___ is used for pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis, and offers passive
immunity. Active immunity is achieved through vaccination.
Ig
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LOOK AT FIGURE PG.7
