hepatitis A

noun

: an acute usually benign hepatitis that is caused by a picornavirus (species Hepatitis A virus of the genus Hepatovirus), is marked by fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, darkened urine, and jaundice but may be asymptomatic, especially in children, and is transmitted especially in food and water contaminated with infected fecal matter

Note: Unlike other forms of hepatitis, hepatitis A is a short-term illness that does not progress to a chronic condition and does not typically cause permanent liver damage.

called also infectious hepatitis

Examples of hepatitis A in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Later that year, the chain suffered a hepatitis A outbreak that caused four deaths and about 660 illnesses in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area. —Cheryl V. Jackson, The Indianapolis Star, 6 Dec. 2024

Around the time of its bankruptcy filing, Chi-Chi’s reputation was also married by a hepatitis A outbreak at one of its restaurants in Pennsylvania. —Dee-Ann Durbin, Chicago Tribune, 5 Dec. 2024

The chain grew to more than 200 restaurants nationwide, before its owner filed for bankruptcy in 2003. After facing the largest hepatitis A outbreak in the country’s history traced to green onions in its salsa, the last of the Chi-Chi’s restaurants closed in 2004. —Judy Kurtz, The Hill, 5 Dec. 2024

But right before the chain completely shuttered all of its restaurants, a Pittsburgh-area location had a hepatitis A outbreak traced to green onions in the restaurant’s complimentary salsa. —Sabrina Weiss, People.com, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1972, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

hepatitis A

noun

-ˈā 

: an acute usually benign hepatitis that is caused by a picornavirus (species Hepatitis A virus of the genus Hepatovirus), is marked by fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, darkened urine, and jaundice but may be asymptomatic, especially in children, and is transmitted especially in food and water contaminated with infected fecal matter

Note: Unlike other forms of hepatitis, hepatitis A is a short-term illness that does not progress to a chronic condition and does not typically cause permanent liver damage.

called also infectious hepatitis

see havrix