Recent advance on viral hepatitis A

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is an old disease in the world, usually spread by the fecal-oral route. The uncomplicated patients usually recovery within 6 months. Its mortality is age-dependent. A high fatality rate with fulminate course and among chronic hepatitis B or C patients with HAV super-infection was observed. In recent two to three decades, the improvement of public health and hygiene has reduced the incidence of hepatitis A in children and adolescents worldwide; therefore, a massive outbreak of hepatitis A becomes possible among general population who neither have been infected nor have had any protective antibodies. Currently, the commercially available inactivated hepatitis A vaccine is proved to be safe and immunogenic in different risk groups, including children and adults, in several large clinical trials. Considering the potential for epidemic outbreak and the severity of the disease, immunization against the infection among risk population turns important for the prevention and control of HAV infection.