There is a simple blood test to screen for hepatitis A. This test can distinguish between someone who has been newly infected (less than six months ago) and someone who was infected more than six months ago. By the time symptoms develop, people generally show evidence of the infection on a blood test. The test looks for antibodies, the immune system’s response to the infection. These antibodies usually take about a month after infection to develop, and once infected with hepatitis A, a person has antibodies as evidence of the infection in his or her blood for life; the antibodies will also confer protection against acquiring the infection a second time. If the blood test for hepatitis A is negative but infection is still suspected, a repeat test should be performed in a few weeks. If the blood test remains negative, hepatitis A infection may be excluded, and alternative reasons for the symptoms—such as other forms of viral hepatitis or a reaction to medications—should be sought.
A person who has been infected with hepatitis A and resolved the infection, and a person who has received the vaccine for hepatitis A, will each show the same positive blood test result. Neither will become infected with hepatitis A again.
The treatment for hepatitis A is supportive, meaning that the symptoms are treated with rest, fluids, and antinausea medications. It is important to avoid placing stress on the liver, to avoid any medications that can cause further damage, and, most of all, to avoid all alcohol. There is no specific diet to follow. Most people recover from symptoms in about six weeks, although it can take up to three months for a person to feel completely back to normal. Hospitalization is occasionally necessary.
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