Lecture 20: Hepatitis Flashcards
How many types of viral hepatitis’s are there
5: A-E
What is hepatitis A’s structure
a picornavirus; single stranded
What is HepA’s source of virus
feces
What is HepA’s route of transmission
fecal-oral typically
contamination of food and water
Directly from one individual to another
Can HepA be chronic
No, and has no long-term sequelae (99% of the time people recover)
What is the prevention of HepA
Pre/post exposure immunization
What is the epidemiology of HepA
correlates with sanitation levels, therefore is very common in countries but rare in places with good waste management
When does HepA happen
sporadic (not a given time of year) and epidemic base
How does HepA affect your body
ingested, replicates in the bowel wall and spreads via the blood stream to the liver
What is the incubation period in HepA
2-4 weeks
What are symptoms of HepA
most cases are asymptomatic, sometimes people have cases of jaundice though
How is diagnosis confirmed in HepA
using IgM serology, which can confirm the appearance of IgM antibodies
What is an Immune globulin
It serves as instant protection for post exposure of HepA used for immunocompromised people
When is a vaccine for HepA given
For travellers
Individuals at high risk of HepA because of occupational or other exposure
Outbreak settings
What is the structure of HepB
a double stranded Hepadnavirus
