Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is the most common virus causing Hepatitis in children. HAV is located in the stool and blood of an infected individual and is accountable for sporadic and endemic instances of acute Viral Hepatitis in the growing international with sanitation and private hygiene. The virus is commonly transmitted via faecal-oral route by the ingestion of infected meals or water. It additionally transmits from individual to individual touch with near touch with an inflamed individual. Acute Hepatitis in children and young people is basically because of hepatitis A.

Manifestations: Patients with acute contamination with Hepatitis viruses manifests as fever, malaise, nausea, poor urge for food, ache abdomen, and vomiting in the prodromal phase (lasted for initial 3 – 7 days). Then the affected person abruptly develops jaundice (yellowish discoloration of eyes and urine) – icteric phase. Once jaundice appeared, fever and different signs and symptoms commonly subside. This icteric phase persists for a variable time (days to weeks) and regularly subsides in the maximum of the instances. Few patients with acute infection increase liver failure (acute liver failure) manifested as alteration of sensorium like irrelevant talking, agitation, altered sleep cycle, drowsiness and unconsciousness, and bleeding. Acute viral hepatitis in children below 2 – 5 years of age commonly does not develop jaundice at all (Anicteric Hepatitis). They commonly appear as fever, ache abdomen, poor urge for food, and vomiting.

Diagnosis: Viral hepatitis needs a totally high index of clinical suspicion specifically in younger children. Blood tests (Liver function tests) display elevated liver enzymes and serum bilirubin. Confirmation of viruses is carried out by serological tests (for antibody and antigen depending and viruses) and PCR tests.

Treatment: Acute viral hepatitis is symptomatic. No particular antiviral is present to be had in opposition to the Hepatitis A virus. Patients with acute viral hepatitis have to take the right nutrients and multivitamins, etc. Parents have misconceptions approximately the restriction of food plans for kids with jaundice. They supply the simplest boiled rice and dal and glucose water and fruit juices to the kids when they observed jaundice. This exercise is negative for the sufferers as this similarly decreases the child’s urge for food and subsequently nutritional intake. Patients want to be hospitalized in case of continual vomiting, poor oral intake, altered sensorium, unconsciousness, and bleeding.

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