Description
Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is an icosahedral three-dimensionally symmetrical spherical particle with a diameter of 27-32 nm, without an envelope, and the core is a single-stranded positive-stranded RNA. HAV belongs to the genus hepatovirus or the genus heparnavirus of the Picornaviridae family. HAV is mainly transmitted through the hand-oral route, with an incubation period of 15 to 50 days, with an average of 28 days. The virus is often present in the patient’s blood and stool 5 to 6 days before the patient’s serum ALT rises. After 2 to 3 weeks of onset, with the production of specific antibodies in serum, the infectivity of serum and feces gradually disappeared. Laboratory diagnosis of HAV can be performed with antibody testing. The most commonly used clinical method is to check hepatitis A antibody by ELISA.
