Hepatitis A is typically a benign, self-limiting disease, with a serious outcome being very rare.

Hepatitis A is relatively rare in the UK with under 1000 cases in England and Wales in 2017. It is an RNA virus.

• Very common and particularly associated with travellers

• incubation period: 2-4 weeks

• RNA picornavirus

• transmission is by faecal-oral spread usually by food or water, often in institutions

• doesn't cause chronic disease

• It is a notifiable disease and Public Health need to be notified of all cases.

Risk factors:

• Living in an endemic area or travel to an endemic area
• Close personal contact with an infected person
• Men who have sex with men
• Exposure to a known foodborne outbreak

PC

*Presence of risk factors

• flu-like prodrome - fatigue, fever, nausea, appetite loss
• abdominal pain: typically right upper quadrant
• tender hepatomegaly