Exposure to hepatitis A virus (“HAV”) can cause an acute infection of the liver that is typically mild and resolves on its own.[1] The symptoms and duration of illness vary a great deal, with many persons showing no symptoms at all.[2] Fever and jaundice are two of the symptoms most commonly associated with hepatitis A infection.[3] Hepatitis infections have plagued humans. The “earliest accounts of contagious jaundice are found in ancient China.”[4]
Hepatitis A is the only common vaccine-preventable foodborne disease in the United States.[7] This virus is one of five human hepatitis viruses that primarily infect the human liver and cause human illness.[8] Unlike hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A does not develop into chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, which are both potentially fatal conditions.[9] Nonetheless, infection with the hepatitis A virus (HAV) can lead to acute liver failure and death.[10]
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