hepatitis A

noun

: an acute usually benign hepatitis that is caused by a picornavirus (Hepatovirus ahepa), 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

In the short term, if the schedule change leads to fewer vaccinations, children in America will suffer through more diarrhea from rotavirus, nausea from hepatitis A, and fevers from the flu. —Tom Bartlett, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026

Among the vaccines the CDC no longer recommends for all children are flu, hepatitis A and hepatitis B. —Katy Golvala, Hartford Courant, 7 Jan. 2026

The six vaccines that are no longer broadly recommended include protections against rotavirus, influenza, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and some forms of meningococcal disease and RSV. —Jordana Comiter, PEOPLE, 6 Jan. 2026

Per the new schedule, the CDC will no longer universally recommend vaccines for the flu, COVID-19, meningococcal disease, RSV, hepatitis A and B, and rotavirus for children, instead recommending them only for high-risk groups or leaving the decision up to parents and doctors. —Madeline Heim, jsonline.com, 6 Jan. 2026

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 (Hepatovirus ahepa), 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, infectious jaundice

see havrix