Hepatitis A virus infection.
Pierre van DammeRosa M PintóZongdi FengFuqiang CuiAngela GentileDaniel ShouvalPublished in: Nature reviews. Disease primers (2023)
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). Over 150 million new infections of hepatitis A occur annually. HAV causes an acute inflammatory reaction in the liver that usually resolves spontaneously without chronic sequelae. However, up to 20% of patients experience a prolonged or relapsed course and <1% experience acute liver failure. Host factors, such as immunological status, age, pregnancy and underlying hepatic diseases, can affect the severity of disease. Anti-HAV IgG antibodies produced in response to HAV infection persist for life and protect against re-infection; vaccine-induced antibodies against hepatitis A confer long-term protection. The WHO recommends vaccination for individuals at higher risk of infection and/or severe disease in countries with very low and low hepatitis A virus endemicity, and universal childhood vaccination in intermediate endemicity countries. To date, >25 countries worldwide have implemented such programmes, resulting in a reduction in the incidence of HAV infection. Improving hygiene and sanitation, rapid identification of outbreaks and fast and accurate intervention in outbreak control are essential to reducing HAV transmission.
Keyphrases
- liver failure
- hepatitis b virus
- drug induced
- randomized controlled trial
- acute lymphoblastic leukemia
- oxidative stress
- intensive care unit
- emergency department
- prognostic factors
- pregnant women
- acute myeloid leukemia
- diffuse large b cell lymphoma
- early onset
- patient reported outcomes
- aortic dissection
- preterm birth
- pregnancy outcomes
- patient reported