Prevalence of Hepatitis A Virus in Patients at a Tertiary Care Hospital in Vadodara

Background: The 27 nm, non-enveloped, single-stranded RNA Hepatitis A virus (HAV) belongs to the genus Hepatovirus and family Picornaviridae. The hepatitis A virus, which causes both sporadic and epidemic forms of acute hepatitis, is mostly transmitted through the fecal-oral route, which involves consuming tainted food and beverages. Material and methods: Over a period of 1 year from April 2024 to March 2025, a total of 431 blood samples from clinically suspected Hepatitis A patients were received in department of microbiology. Serum was separated and subjected to enzyme immunoassay for detection of HAV IgM Antibody (anti- HAV IgM). Results: During this study period, a total 431 blood samples were processed from suspected Hepatitis A cases out of which 112 (26%) samples were found to be positive for HAV IgM Antibody (anti- HAV IgM). Conclusion: HAV causes AVH most commonly in early childhood and a small number of adolescents and adults. Females are more commonly infected than males. The preventive strategies and control measures of hepatitis A will be determined by future definition of HAV epidemiology in the Central Karnataka region, India.