Hepatitis A Virus

Hepatitis A Virus is a topic covered in the Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics.

To view the entire topic, please or purchase a subscription.

The Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics helps you diagnose and treat hundreds of medical conditions. Consult clinical recommendations from a resource that has been trusted on the wards for 50+ years. Explore these free sample topics:

Washington Manual

-- The first section of this topic is shown below --

General Principles

  • HAV is an RNA virus in the picornavirus family. It is transmitted via the fecal–oral route and is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide.
  • Large-scale outbreaks because of contamination of food and drinking water can occur.
  • A vaccine is available, with two doses given at least 6 months apart.
  • The period of greatest infectivity is 2 weeks before the onset of clinical illness.
  • Viral shedding in infected patients’ feces continues for 2–3 weeks after the onset of symptoms.

-- To view the remaining sections of this topic, please or purchase a subscription --