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

Cases of measles, salmonella, listeria and hepatitis A and C have spread throughout the country. —Chiara Eisner, NPR, 21 May 2025

Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, nausea, fatigue, abdominal pain, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes) and dark urine. —Jasmine Laws, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 May 2025

Of the 165 hepatitis A cases in L.A. County last year, most were among adults, officials said. —Rong-Gong Lin Ii, Los Angeles Times, 6 May 2025

Everyone should be immunized against hepatitis A, a virus that is a common cause of gastrointestinal illness in many parts of the world. —Perri Klass, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025

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