“Hepatitis” means the inflammation of the liver. The liver is a vital organ that processes nutrients, filters the blood, and fights infections. When the liver is inflamed or damaged, its function can be affected. Hepatitis A is a vaccine- preventable, acute liver infection caused by the Hepatitis A Virus. The Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is a small, non-enveloped, positive, single stranded RNA virus classified from the Picornaviridae family. Hepatitis A is one of the most common infectious form of acute viral hepatitis in the world and is highly contagious.
The human hepatitis virus occurs in five different forms. There is Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E all of which are caused by different viruses. Hepatitis A spreads primarily when an uninfected …show more content…
The virus can also be transmitted through oral and anal sex. For Hepatitis A, if symptoms do occur, they generally appear between two to six weeks after exposure to the virus. The first symptoms of Hepatitis A are usually mild, vague, and makes the infected person feel as though they have a mild case of influenza. Abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, dark urine, jaundice, and joint pain are the most common signs and symptoms of Hepatitis A. These signs and symptoms can usually be resolved within two months of the viral infection, although there are some cases where those infected can be ill for as long as six months. However, not everyone who is infected will have all of the symptoms. Fulminant hepatitis or fulminant hepatic failure is the rapid development of acute liver injury with severe impairment of the synthetic functions. The expression of symptoms varies with the age of the infected person. For most children under six years of age, 50% of them do not have any symptoms, while the remaining children have mild symptoms, which is often times not recognized as Hepatitis (Franco, Meleleo, Serino, Sorbara, & Zaratti,
The human hepatitis virus occurs in five different forms. There is Hepatitis A, B, C, D, and E all of which are caused by different viruses. Hepatitis A spreads primarily when an uninfected …show more content…
The virus can also be transmitted through oral and anal sex. For Hepatitis A, if symptoms do occur, they generally appear between two to six weeks after exposure to the virus. The first symptoms of Hepatitis A are usually mild, vague, and makes the infected person feel as though they have a mild case of influenza. Abdominal pain, fever, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, dark urine, jaundice, and joint pain are the most common signs and symptoms of Hepatitis A. These signs and symptoms can usually be resolved within two months of the viral infection, although there are some cases where those infected can be ill for as long as six months. However, not everyone who is infected will have all of the symptoms. Fulminant hepatitis or fulminant hepatic failure is the rapid development of acute liver injury with severe impairment of the synthetic functions. The expression of symptoms varies with the age of the infected person. For most children under six years of age, 50% of them do not have any symptoms, while the remaining children have mild symptoms, which is often times not recognized as Hepatitis (Franco, Meleleo, Serino, Sorbara, & Zaratti,