Hepatitis A is a disease with a generally acute course that mainly affects the liver, caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), a stable and enveloped picornavirus capable of resisting adverse conditions. Transmission occurs through interpersonal contact via the fecal-oral route, through the consumption of contaminated food and water. A review was carried out with the objective of describing the transmitting capacity of the virus and the problems it represents. Original scientific articles, clinical cases and epidemiological bulletins related to HAV infection were selected for this bibliographic review on a global and national scale. HAV is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis worldwide, the infection produced causes an acute necroinflammatory process that resolves spontaneously without chronic sequelae, with a mild to severe clinical picture and a variable incubation period with complete resolution of the disease in> 99% of cases and low percentage of relapses. Annually it is estimated that 1.5 million people are infected with HAV, in 2016 in Venezuela 4,305 suspected cases were reported. The population incidence of the infection is related to socioeconomic factors such as sanitation and water quality, therefore, improvements in these conditions lead to a change in the susceptibility to the virus, from early ages to older adults. The HAV infection rate decreases by improving the basic sanitary conditions of a population, making it possible to prevent and control it by implementing a vaccination plan against the hepatitis A virus.

Author Name: Contreras Y, De Marchis M, Gargano N, Lahoud A, Nava E.

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Keywords: epidemic; hepatitis A; incidence; transmission; Venezuela.

ISSN: 2542-3428

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