Hepatitis A
By: Chloe Ritterbusch
What causes Hepatitis A?
The Hepatitis A virus can occur in a person who consumes a product that has been contaminated by someone with the virus. You can also contract the virus if the stool of someone who has the virus is on food or in a drink that you consume.
Symptoms of Hepatitis A
Pain in joints, muscles, and abdomen
Fatigue
Fever
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Nausea
Dark Urine
Yellow skin and eyes in extreme cases
Treatment Options
If you contract Hepatitis A, the virus will clear up on its own in one to two months without treatment. Rest and lots of fluids can speed up the process but, unfortunately, there is not a cure once a person is infected. To prevent Hepatitis A there is a two dose vaccine.
Replication
When the virus enters the cell, the virus sheds its capsid and RNA containing its genetic code. The host cell starts to decode the RNA without turning off the cell's protein synthesis and the cell starts to produce the virus.
Immune Cells defense against Hepatitis a
The Hepatitis Virus is HIGHLY contagious and takes a long time for our immune systems to be able to effectively attack the virus. Once the body senses the intruder, the immune system instantly attacks it, the hepatitis virus has the ability to evolve once it has been attacked which makes it a very hard virus for our bodies to fight.