A Retrospective Study on the Prevalence of Hepatitis A Virus in Patients With Acute Viral Hepatitis at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is a common cause of acute viral hepatitis, especially in developing countries. HAV poses a major public health problem in India. A retrospective study was carried out to ascertain the prevalence, demographic characteristics, and clinical outcomes of the hepatitis A virus in patients who presented with acute viral hepatitis at a tertiary care hospital between November 2022 and October 2024. About 656 samples were included in this study; 142 of the 656 samples tested positive for HAV IgM enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In July and August of 2023, there was a sharp increase in seropositive cases linked to person-to-person transmission. In this study, the overall prevalence was 22%. The most frequent symptoms were fever, followed by stomach pain and yellowish urine. The hepatitis A virus primarily affects young children and a small percentage of adults and adolescents from lower and intermediate socioeconomic backgrounds who drink subterranean water. The seroprevalence of the hepatitis A virus is influenced by time and geographic spread. When caring for children under two, the most important preventative measure is to wash your hands properly. The current study also emphasizes the necessity of planning decisions on public health policies, such as vaccination plans, safe drinking water sources, and sanitation programs, in order to better control the hepatitis A virus and ensure its appropriate usage.