Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver that has no specific treatment. However, a group of researchers from North Carolina has discovered a potential cure for the disease.
Written by Arushi Bidhuri | Updated: July 6, 2022, 3:31 PM IST
Hepatitis A is an inflammation of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus, which results in a mild illness. Although there is no specific treatment for the disease, it can be prevented. However, a group of researchers from the University of North Carolina has discovered a potential treatment for the hepatitis A virus. The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the first to demonstrate an effective treatment against HAV.
A new potential treatment for hepatitis A
The University of North Carolina School of Medicine has discovered a substance that may be the first-ever treatment for hepatitis A virus (HAV). Through an experiment, the researchers discovered that in order for HAV to replicate, it must interact with the human protein ZCCHC14 and a group of enzymes known as TENT4 poly(A).
They tested an oral drug called RG7834 on mice and found that the drug reduced liver inflammation and blocked the replication of the HAV virus. The researchers believe this study halts the spread of hepatitis A in outbreak settings by showing that targeting this protein complex with an orally administered small molecule therapeutic reverses liver inflammation in a mouse model of hepatitis A and halts virus replication.
Hepatitis A symptoms to watch out for
The hepatitis A virus that causes hepatitis A causes inflammation of the liver (HAV). When an uninfected (and unvaccinated) individual consumes food or water that has been contaminated with the feces of an infected person, the virus is most often spread. Oral-anal intercourse, contaminated food or water, poor sanitation and poor personal hygiene and all these factors are closely related to the disease. Although hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease, it can lead to debilitating symptoms and acute liver failure in rare cases.
Hepatitis A usually has an incubation period of 14 to 28 days.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include:
- Fever
- Indisposition
- Lack of appetite
- diarrhea
- nausea
- Stomach ache
- Dark urine and
- Jaundice
They can range in severity from mild to severe (yellowing of the eyes and skin). Not every infected person will experience all the symptoms. Adults are more likely than children to experience disease-related symptoms and signs. In older age groups, disease burden and mortality consequences increase. Infected children under the age of 6 usually do not experience noticeable symptoms, and only 10% develop jaundice. When hepatitis A relapses, a person who has recently recovered becomes ill again with an acute episode. Recovery usually comes afterwards.
Who is at risk?
Anyone who has not been vaccinated or who has not had the disease before is susceptible to contracting it. The majority of hepatitis A infections occur in children under the age of five in regions where the virus is common. Some of the risk factors include:
- Drinking contaminated water
- Poor sanitation
- Living with an infected person
- Abuse of narcotic substances
- Same-sex intercourse
- Travel to high endemic areas
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