Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A (HAV) is a RNA virus; it was previously called infectious hepatitis. It is transmitted by person-to-person contact or ingestion of contaminated food or water. It is almost never through blood products. A preventative vaccine consisting of two gamma globulin injections is available.
There is no specific treatment for HAV; however, full recovery is common. HAV does not usually result in chronic hepatitis except in the case of newborns. Ninety percent of newborns who contact HAV remain chronic. A person who has HAV develops a life-long immunity. Liver transplant is indicated only in very rare cases.
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