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Infectious Disease29 papers

Acute viral hepatitis

Last edited: 4/14/2026

Overview

Acute viral hepatitis is an inflammatory liver condition caused primarily by hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV), with varying epidemiological patterns observed globally 14518.

Diagnosis

  • Serological Testing: Essential for identifying specific viral markers (e.g., IgM anti-HAV, HBsAg, anti-HBc IgM) 1220.
  • Liver Function Tests: Elevated ALT and AST levels are common indicators 17.
  • Viral Marker Analysis: Includes testing for hepatitis E virus (HEV) in certain populations 1018.
  • Imaging and Biopsy: Ultrasound and liver biopsy may be necessary for severe cases or atypical presentations 1722.
  • Autoantibodies: Evaluation of autoantibodies can provide insights into disease progression and etiology 25.

    • Management

  • Supportive Care: Rest, hydration, and monitoring of liver function 12.
  • Prevention with Vaccines: Hepatitis A and B vaccines are highly effective preventive measures 113.
  • Specific Antiviral Therapy: Not routinely indicated for HAV; for chronic HBV or HCV, antiviral agents like entecavir, tenofovir, or sofosbuvir are used 12.
  • Monitoring: Regular follow-up to assess recovery and detect complications such as acute liver failure 1221.

    • Special Populations

  • Pediatrics: Acute viral hepatitis remains prevalent; HAV and HBV are common etiologies 23919.
  • Pregnancy: Oral contraceptives do not appear to exacerbate acute viral hepatitis 27.
  • Elderly: Specific management considerations are not extensively detailed in the abstracts provided.
  • Comorbidities: No specific guidelines provided in the abstracts for managing acute viral hepatitis in patients with comorbidities.

    • Key Recommendations

  • Routine Serological Testing for acute viral hepatitis to identify specific viral etiologies (Evidence: Strong 1220).
  • Vaccination against hepatitis A and B for high-risk populations to prevent acute viral hepatitis (Evidence: Strong 113).
  • Supportive Care Measures should be implemented for symptomatic relief and monitoring of liver function in acute viral hepatitis patients (Evidence: Moderate 12).
  • Consider Antiviral Therapy for chronic HBV or HCV complications, based on clinical progression (Evidence: Moderate 12).
  • Regular Follow-Up is crucial for assessing recovery and managing potential complications (Evidence: Moderate 21).

    • References

    1 Karacaer Z, Tosun S, Batırel A, Şahin S, Altaş İ, Uysal S et al.. Changes in acute viral hepatitis epidemiology in the Turkish adult population: A multicenter study. The Turkish journal of gastroenterology : the official journal of Turkish Society of Gastroenterology 2018. link 2 Kc S, Sharma D, Poudyal N, Basnet BK. Acute Viral Hepatitis in Pediatric Age Groups. JNMA; journal of the Nepal Medical Association 2014. link 3 Yachha SK, Goel A, Khanna V, Poddar U, Srivastava A, Singh U. Ascitic form of sporadic acute viral hepatitis in children: a distinct entity for recognition. Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition 2010. link 4 Wasley A, Grytdal S, Gallagher K. Surveillance for acute viral hepatitis--United States, 2006. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002) 2008. link 5 Zakaria S, Fouad R, Shaker O, Zaki S, Hashem A, El-Kamary SS et al.. Changing patterns of acute viral hepatitis at a major urban referral center in Egypt. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2007. link 6 Wasley A, Miller JT, Finelli L. Surveillance for acute viral hepatitis--United States, 2005. Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002) 2007. link 7 Flisiak R, Prokopowicz D, Jaroszewicz J, Flisiak I. Plasma transforming growth factor-beta(1) in acute viral hepatitis. Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research 2005. link 8 Das K, Kar P, Gupta RK, Das BC. Role of transfusion-transmitted virus in acute viral hepatitis and fulminant hepatic failure of unknown etiology. Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology 2004. link 9 Poddar U, Thapa BR, Prasad A, Singh K. Changing spectrum of sporadic acute viral hepatitis in Indian children. Journal of tropical pediatrics 2002. link 10 Das K, Agarwal A, Andrew R, Frösner GG, Kar P. Role of hepatitis E and other hepatotropic virus in aetiology of sporadic acute viral hepatitis: a hospital based study from urban Delhi. European journal of epidemiology 2000. link 11 Kanda T, Yokosuka O, Ikeuchi T, Seta T, Kawai S, Imazeki F et al.. The role of TT virus infection in acute viral hepatitis. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) 1999. link 12 Farrell GC. Acute viral hepatitis. The Medical journal of Australia 1998. link 13 Ohara H, Ebisawa I, Naruto H. Prophylaxis of acute viral hepatitis by immune serum globulin, hepatitis B vaccine, and health education: a sixteen year study of Japan overseas cooperation volunteers. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene 1997. link 14 Ide T, Sata M, Nouno R, Yamashita F, Nakano H, Tanikawa K. Clinical evaluation of four cases of acute viral hepatitis complicated by pure red cell aplasia. The American journal of gastroenterology 1994. link 15 Muraoka H, Sata M, Nakano H, Hino T, Ide T, Tanikawa K. A study of erythrocyte C3b receptors (E-CR1) in patients with acute viral hepatitis. Kansenshogaku zasshi. The Journal of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases 1993. link 16 Taranto D, Carrato A, Romano M, Maio G, Izzo CM, Del Vecchio Blanco C. Mild pancreatic damage in acute viral hepatitis. Digestion 1989. link 17 Masuda T, Satodate R, Suzuki K, Sato S. Nuclear deformity of hepatocytes in acute viral hepatitis. The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine 1988. link 18 Xu DZ, Zhou WY, Zou HK, Chen YJ. Etiological types and clinical and epidemiological features of acute viral hepatitis in Xi'an in China. Journal of medical virology 1987. link 19 Pannuti CS, de Mendonça JS, Pereira ML, Carvalho MJ, Amato Neto V. Sporadic acute viral hepatitis A, B and non-A non-B. A prospective study of 150 consecutive cases in São Paulo, Brazil. Tropical and geographical medicine 1985. link 20 Hoofnagle JH, Ponzetto A, Mathiesen LR, Waggoner JG, Bales ZB, Seeff LB. Serological diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis. Digestive diseases and sciences 1985. link 21 Wiedmann KH, Brattig NW, Diao GD, Schomerus H, Dölle W, Berg PA. Serum inhibitory factors (SIF) are of prognostic value in acute viral hepatitis. Lancet (London, England) 1985. link91083-9) 22 Govindarajan S, Uchida T, Peters RL. Identification of T lymphocytes and subsets in liver biopsy cores of acute viral hepatitis. Liver 1983. link 23 Papaevangelou G, Roumeliotou-Karayannis A, Contoyannis P. Changing epidemiological characteristics of acute viral hepatitis in Greece. Infection 1982. link 24 Schaff Z, Lapis K, Keresztury S, Kolláth Z, Hérics M, Hollós I. Occurrence of tubuloreticular inclusions in acute viral hepatitis. Ultrastructural pathology 1982. link 25 Tage-Jensen U, Permin H, Hardt F, Juhl E, Mathiesen LR, Nielsen JO et al.. Circulating autoantibodies in patients with acute viral hepatitis. Relation to etiology and clinical course. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology 1980. link 26 Gust ID. Acute viral hepatitis. Australian family physician 1978. link 27 Schweitzer IL, Weiner JM, McPeak CM, Thursby MW. Oral contraceptives in acute viral hepatitis. JAMA 1975. link

    Original source

    1. [1]
      Changes in acute viral hepatitis epidemiology in the Turkish adult population: A multicenter study. — Karacaer Z, Tosun S, Batırel A, Şahin S, Altaş İ, Uysal S et al. The Turkish journal of gastroenterology : the official journal of Turkish Society of Gastroenterology (2018)
    2. [2]
      Acute Viral Hepatitis in Pediatric Age Groups. — Kc S, Sharma D, Poudyal N, Basnet BK JNMA; journal of the Nepal Medical Association (2014)
    3. [3]
      Ascitic form of sporadic acute viral hepatitis in children: a distinct entity for recognition. — Yachha SK, Goel A, Khanna V, Poddar U, Srivastava A, Singh U Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition (2010)
    4. [4]
      Surveillance for acute viral hepatitis--United States, 2006. — Wasley A, Grytdal S, Gallagher K Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002) (2008)
    5. [5]
      Changing patterns of acute viral hepatitis at a major urban referral center in Egypt. — Zakaria S, Fouad R, Shaker O, Zaki S, Hashem A, El-Kamary SS et al. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (2007)
    6. [6]
      Surveillance for acute viral hepatitis--United States, 2005. — Wasley A, Miller JT, Finelli L Morbidity and mortality weekly report. Surveillance summaries (Washington, D.C. : 2002) (2007)
    7. [7]
      Plasma transforming growth factor-beta(1) in acute viral hepatitis. — Flisiak R, Prokopowicz D, Jaroszewicz J, Flisiak I Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research (2005)
    8. [8]
      Role of transfusion-transmitted virus in acute viral hepatitis and fulminant hepatic failure of unknown etiology. — Das K, Kar P, Gupta RK, Das BC Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology (2004)
    9. [9]
      Changing spectrum of sporadic acute viral hepatitis in Indian children. — Poddar U, Thapa BR, Prasad A, Singh K Journal of tropical pediatrics (2002)
    10. [10]
      Role of hepatitis E and other hepatotropic virus in aetiology of sporadic acute viral hepatitis: a hospital based study from urban Delhi. — Das K, Agarwal A, Andrew R, Frösner GG, Kar P European journal of epidemiology (2000)
    11. [11]
      The role of TT virus infection in acute viral hepatitis. — Kanda T, Yokosuka O, Ikeuchi T, Seta T, Kawai S, Imazeki F et al. Hepatology (Baltimore, Md.) (1999)
    12. [12]
      Acute viral hepatitis. — Farrell GC The Medical journal of Australia (1998)
    13. [13]
      Prophylaxis of acute viral hepatitis by immune serum globulin, hepatitis B vaccine, and health education: a sixteen year study of Japan overseas cooperation volunteers. — Ohara H, Ebisawa I, Naruto H The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene (1997)
    14. [14]
      Clinical evaluation of four cases of acute viral hepatitis complicated by pure red cell aplasia. — Ide T, Sata M, Nouno R, Yamashita F, Nakano H, Tanikawa K The American journal of gastroenterology (1994)
    15. [15]
      A study of erythrocyte C3b receptors (E-CR1) in patients with acute viral hepatitis. — Muraoka H, Sata M, Nakano H, Hino T, Ide T, Tanikawa K Kansenshogaku zasshi. The Journal of the Japanese Association for Infectious Diseases (1993)
    16. [16]
      Mild pancreatic damage in acute viral hepatitis. — Taranto D, Carrato A, Romano M, Maio G, Izzo CM, Del Vecchio Blanco C Digestion (1989)
    17. [17]
      Nuclear deformity of hepatocytes in acute viral hepatitis. — Masuda T, Satodate R, Suzuki K, Sato S The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine (1988)
    18. [18]
      Etiological types and clinical and epidemiological features of acute viral hepatitis in Xi'an in China. — Xu DZ, Zhou WY, Zou HK, Chen YJ Journal of medical virology (1987)
    19. [19]
      Sporadic acute viral hepatitis A, B and non-A non-B. A prospective study of 150 consecutive cases in São Paulo, Brazil. — Pannuti CS, de Mendonça JS, Pereira ML, Carvalho MJ, Amato Neto V Tropical and geographical medicine (1985)
    20. [20]
      Serological diagnosis of acute viral hepatitis. — Hoofnagle JH, Ponzetto A, Mathiesen LR, Waggoner JG, Bales ZB, Seeff LB Digestive diseases and sciences (1985)
    21. [21]
      Serum inhibitory factors (SIF) are of prognostic value in acute viral hepatitis. — Wiedmann KH, Brattig NW, Diao GD, Schomerus H, Dölle W, Berg PA Lancet (London, England) (1985)
    22. [22]
      Identification of T lymphocytes and subsets in liver biopsy cores of acute viral hepatitis. — Govindarajan S, Uchida T, Peters RL Liver (1983)
    23. [23]
      Changing epidemiological characteristics of acute viral hepatitis in Greece. — Papaevangelou G, Roumeliotou-Karayannis A, Contoyannis P Infection (1982)
    24. [24]
      Occurrence of tubuloreticular inclusions in acute viral hepatitis. — Schaff Z, Lapis K, Keresztury S, Kolláth Z, Hérics M, Hollós I Ultrastructural pathology (1982)
    25. [25]
      Circulating autoantibodies in patients with acute viral hepatitis. Relation to etiology and clinical course. — Tage-Jensen U, Permin H, Hardt F, Juhl E, Mathiesen LR, Nielsen JO et al. Scandinavian journal of gastroenterology (1980)
    26. [26]
      Acute viral hepatitis. — Gust ID Australian family physician (1978)
    27. [27]
      Oral contraceptives in acute viral hepatitis. — Schweitzer IL, Weiner JM, McPeak CM, Thursby MW JAMA (1975)
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