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Hepatitis A Fact Sheet
Bloodborne Pathogens Section
Cause
- Hepatitis A virus (HAV)
- Non-enveloped virus of the Picornoviridae family
- One serotype identified
- Identified in 1972
- HAV is an enteric viral infection, generally transmitted through a fecal-oral route.
Clinical Characteristics
| Incubation Period | From 15-50 days, average 28-30 days |
| Acute Illness | Can cause a renewed illness up to one year after initial infection. This can happen in about 15% of patients. |
| Chronic Infection | People usually do not remain infected for life. The body will most often fight off the virus naturally. |
| Global Incidence | 1.5 million cases each year. |
| Global Prevalence | 15-100% in various parts of the world. |
Recovering from a Hepatitis A (Hep A) infection results in lifelong immunity that will protect you from getting Hep A again.
Signs and Symptoms
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), other general symptoms such as uneasiness, loss of appetite, pain in the stomach area, dark urine and fatigue.
- Most people mild to serious Hep A recover naturally.
Modes of Transmission
- Exposure to water or food products contaminated with HAV (feces containing the virus)
- Transmission through household or sexual contact is seen as a very rare event, particularly in heterosexual relationships
- Transmission through blood does not happen often.
Persons at Risk
| Persons | Level of Risk |
| People in the food handling industry exposed to contaminated food or water | High |
| People who inject drugs | Medium |
| People living, visiting or working in developing countries | Medium |
| Inmates in prisons or jails | Medium |
| Household contacts of HAV individuals | Medium |
| Hemophiliacs | Low |
Individuals with long-term liver disease may be at higher risk for a more serious hepatitis infection.
Prevention
- A vaccine to protect against HAV is available. A combination vaccine for Hep A and B is also available.
Treatment
- There is no effective treatment to date. People generally recover from symptoms in 4 to 6 weeks.
Canadian Data on the trends of HAV
- The incidence of Hep A was approximately 2.9 cases for every 100,000 persons in 1999 (Health Canada, Notifiable Diseases Online)
Reference: Bloodborne Pathogens Section, Blood Safety Surveillance and Health Care Acquired Infections Division, Health Canada, 2003
