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HEPATITIS A & E

Hepatitis A route of transmission is through oral-fecal route. While in hepatitis E, aside from the oral-fecal route, it is also transmitted through blood transfusion in endemic areas.

Hepatitis A incubation period is 15-50 days and hepatitis E incubation period is 21-60 days.

Hepatitis A & E viruses cause epidemics.

 

Signs and Symptoms

  • The majority of acute viral hepatitis infections are asymptomatic or they can cause an anicteric illness that may not be diagnosed as hepatitis
  • Hepatitis A generally causes minor illness in childhood w/ >80% of infections being asymptomatic
    • Adults are more likely to produce clinical symptoms
  • Hepatitis B, C & D may also be asymptomatic
  • Symptomatic hepatitis B will depend on the mode & time of transmission
    • Vertical transmission from mother to child is almost always asymptomatic
    • Other routes of transmission are more likely to produce symptomatic disease (30% of cases transmitted by IV drug use are icteric)

Preicteric Phase

  • Nonspecific systemic symptoms (eg myalgia, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, malaise w/ discomfort in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen)
  • Altered sense of smell or taste, coryza, photophobia, headache, cough, diarrhea, dark urine & serum sickness-like syndrome
  • Hepatomegaly, splenomegaly & lymphadenopathy may be seen on physical exam

Icteric Phase

  • Jaundice, usually noted after onset of fever or upon lysis of fever

Fulminant Hepatitis

  • Development of symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy (eg confusion, drowsiness within 8 weeks of symptoms or within 2 weeks of onset of jaundice)
  • Hypoglycemia, prolonged prothrombin time (PT)

Pathogenesis

Routes of Transmission of Hepatitis

Hepatitis A: Oral-fecal

Hepatitis B: Perinatal, percutaneous, sexual, close person-to-person contact ie by open cuts & sores

Hepatitis C: Blood transfusions, organ transplants, percutaneous (especially IV drug use), sexual, perinatal

Hepatitis D: Sexual, percutaneous especially IV drug use

  • Found only in patients w/ hepatitis B since it requires the hepatitis B outer coat

Hepatitis E: Oral-fecal, blood transfusion in endemic areas

Incubation Period

Hepatitis A: 15-50 days

Hepatitis B: 30-180 days

Hepatitis C: 14-180 days

Hepatitis D: 30-180 days

Hepatitis E: 21-60 days

Other Characteristics of Hepatitis Viruses

  • Hepatitis B virus contains a DNA nucleic acid while A, C, & E viruses have an RNA nucleic acid
    • Hepatitis D has an incomplete RNA & needs the B virus to replicate
  • Hepatitis A & E viruses cause epidemics
  • Hepatitis B, C, & D viruses may predispose to chronic disease & hepatic malignancy
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