Hepatitis - Hepatitis A

(Page 3)

Symptoms of Hepatitis A

Symptoms are usually mild, especially in children, and generally appear between 2 - 6 weeks after exposure to the virus. Adult patients are more likely to have fever, jaundice, and itching that can last 1 to several months.

General Outlook for People Infected with Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is the least serious of the common hepatitis viruses. It does not directly kill liver cells, and there is no risk for a chronic form. Severe (fulminant) hepatitis is the only major concern, but even if it develops, it is almost always less dangerous than with other viral types. Only 1 in a 1,000 patients is at risk for death from this complication. If hepatitis A infection occurs in patients with hepatitis C, however, superinfections can occur, even without cirrhosis, leading to a life-threatening form of fulminant hepatitis. (Infection of patients with hepatitis B who do not have cirrhosis does not appear to be as dangerous.)

---

---

Specific Tests for Hepatitis A

Radioimmunoassays are generally used to identify IgM antibodies, first produced to fight hepatitis A. They appear early in the course of the disease and usually can be identified as soon as symptoms appear. IgM antibodies disappear during recovery, but those known as IgG antibodies persist, and their presence can be used to indicate a previous infection.

Treatments and Measures to Prevent Transmission of Hepatitis A

The primary goals for managing acute viral hepatitis are to provide adequate nutrition, to prevent additional damage to the liver, and to prevent transmission to others.

Precautions for Preventing Transmission of Hepatitis A. Because hepatitis A (and also hepatitis E) are usually passed through contaminated food, people with these viruses should not prepare food for others. Unfortunately, these viruses are most contagious before symptoms appear.

• Using hot water when cleaning utensils or clothing is essential. Heating a contaminated article for 1 minute kills the virus. Simple household bleach is effective for disinfecting hard surfaces. Sterilizing is not necessary. Still, even with strong precautions, utensils used by the patient for eating and cooking should be kept separate from those used by others.
• Abstain from sexual activity or take strict precautions.
• Abstain from alcohol. Moderate drinking after recovery is not harmful for most people.

Review Date: 08/17/2006
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, MD, Editor-in-Chief, In-Depth Reports; Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).