According to the author, the initial symptoms of hepatitis A are generally related to Hippocrates. Hepatitis A outbreaks were first reported in the 17th and 18th century and were linked to Military campaigns. Initially, Hepatitis A was known as infectious hepatitis and was epidemiologically differentiated from Hepatitis B in 1940. Hepatitis B compared to Hepatitis A has a prolonged incubation period. However, the establishment of serologic tests permitted ultimate diagnosis of Hepatitis B.
Until 2004 in the United States, the most frequently documented category of hepatitis was hepatitis A. Passive protection and hygienic measures were the primary methods utilized in conjunction with immune globulin in the pre-vaccine era to prevent Hepatitis A. However, 1995 and 1996 saw the licensing of Hepatitis A vaccines, which provided patients with long-term prevention against infection from hepatitis A virus (HAV). The striking similarities between poliomyelitis and hepatitis A epidemiology indicates that extensive vaccination of populations vulnerable to the virus can significantly reduce the incident of hepatitis A virus that removes HAV infection, and eliminate the transmission of the virus.
Brief synopsis of Hepatitis A Virus …show more content…
As a non-enveloped RNA virus, Hepatitis A virus is categorized as picornavirus, and its isolation was accomplished in 1979 (Atkinson, et al., 2015). Despite the fact that the virus affects various nonhuman primates, though in laboratory conditions, human are considered the natural host of the virus. HAV depending on the environment can remain stable for months. Besides, at moderate temperatures and low pH levels, the virus is somewhat stable. At high temperatures, (85°F [85°C] as well as in chlorine and formalin, the virus becomes inactivated (Atkinson, et al.,