Hepatitis A Virus (HAV)- Viral Load, Quantitative Test Cost & Procedure

Key facts

Hepatitis A is a liver inflammation that can cause mild to severe illness.

The two major ways the hepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted are through direct contact with an infected person or through the intake of contaminated food or water.

A lifetime immunity is created and almost everyone who has hepatitis A recovers completely.

Hepatitis A risk is increased by a lack of access to clean water, poor sanitation, and filthy living conditions (such as contaminated and dirty hands).

Hepatitis A can be prevented with a reliable and safe vaccine.

Overview

Inflammation of the liver is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The virus is most commonly spread by the assumption of polluted food or water by an uninfected (and unvaccinated) individual. The disorder is significantly correlated with oral-anal intercourse, tainted food and water, inadequate sanitation, and poor personal hygiene.

Transmission

When an uninfected person consumes food or water that has been tainted by an infected person's faeces, they contract the hepatitis A virus by the faecal-oral route, which is the predominant method of transmission for this illness. When an infected person prepares meals for the family, the family may suffer from this due to contaminated hands. Waterborne outbreaks, though they don't happen regularly, are frequently associated with untreated or sewage-contaminated water.

The virus can spread by close physical contact (like oral-anal sex) with an infectious person, even while casual contact between individuals does not cause the virus to spread.

Symptoms

Typically, hepatitis A takes 14 to 28 days to incubate.

The signs and indication of hepatitis A comprises fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhoea, nausea, stomach pain, dark urine, and jaundice. They might be modest to extremely intense in severity (a yellowing of the eyes and skin).

Diagnosis

Clinically, instances of acute viral hepatitis cannot be differentiated from those of hepatitis A. Blood is examined for immunoglobulin G (IgM) antibodies that are specific for HAV and are used to provide an accurate diagnosis. There are further procedures that can require specialised lab equipment, such as reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays to detect hepatitis A viral RNA.

Treatment

There is no known cure for hepatitis A. It may take weeks or months for infection symptoms to go away completely. It is imperative to refrain from using medications unless they are really necessary. Avoid using acetaminophen, paracetamol, and antiemetic drugs.