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Signs and symptoms of hepatitis A usually last less than two months, but may last as long as six months. Not everyone with hepatitis A develops signs or symptoms.

Symptoms usually appear 15 to 50 days (2 to 7 weeks) after you have been exposed to the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The average time is 4 weeks. Symptoms usually are mild and may not be noticed in children younger than 6 years of age. In older children and adults, early symptoms are often similar to those of a stomach virus. Possible symptoms include:

The doctor will take a thorough medical history and may palpate the area over the liver to check for tenderness or enlargement.

If the skin becomes jaundiced and the person is exhibiting other symptoms of hepatitis, the doctor will do various lab tests, such as blood tests and liver panel tests. Additional lab tests include the hepatitis A antibody tests ELISA II and RIBA II.

Rarely, the doctor may also perform a liver biopsy where a small portion of the liver would be taken for further examination under a microscope.

Many people with HAV infection have no symptoms at all. Sometimes symptoms are so mild that they go unnoticed. Older people are more likely to have symptoms than children. People who do not have symptoms can still spread the virus.

Hepatitis A Symptoms:

Symptoms of hepatitis A usually develop between 2 and 6 weeks after infection. The symptoms are usually not too severe and go away on their own, over time. The most common symptoms are as follows:

Pain in area of liver – On the right side of the abdomen, just under the rib cage
Urine is dark brownish in color, like cola or strong tea.
Jaundice A yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes
Tiredness, fatigue
Rash
Loss of appetite
Low-grade fever
Diarrhea, especially in children
Vomiting
Nausea

If the vomiting is severe, dehydration may occur. The symptoms of dehydration include the following:

Irritability
Urinating less frequently than usual
Headache
Rapid heartbeat
Feeling confused or unable to concentrate
Feeling weak, tired, or “blah”

Hepatitis does not occur simply from being near someone who has the disease at work or at school.

Symptoms usually last less than two months, although they may last as long as nine months. About 15% of people infected with hepatitis A have symptoms that come and go for 6-9 months.

Seventy percent of hepatitis A infections in children younger than six years of age are asymptomatic; in older children and adults, infection tends to be symptomatic with more than 70% of those infected developing jaundice (CDC, 2009c). Symptoms typically begin about 28 days after contracting HAV, but can begin as early as 15 days or as late as 50 days after exposure and include muscle aches, headache, anorexia (loss of appetite), abdominal discomfort, fever, and malaise. After a few days of the aforementioned symptoms, jaundice (also termed “icterus”) sets in. Jaundice is a yellowing of the skin, eyes and mucous membranes that occurs because bile flows poorly through the liver and backs up into the blood. The urine will also turn dark with bile and the stool light or clay-colored from lack of bile. When jaundice sets in, the initial systemic manifestations (such as fever and headache) begin to subside.

In general, symptoms usually last less than 2 months, although 10% to 15% of symptomatic persons have prolonged or relapsing disease for up to 6 months. It is not unusual, however, for blood tests to remain abnormal for six months or more. The jaundice so commonly associated with hepatitis A can linger for a prolonged period in some infected persons sometimes as long as eight months. Additionally, pruritus, or severe “itchiness” of the skin, can also persist for several months after the onset of symptoms. These conditions are frequently accompanied by diarrhea, anorexia, and fatigue. Relapse is possible with hepatitis A, typically within three months of the initial onset of symptoms. Although relapse is more common in children, it does occur with some regularity in adults. The vast majority of persons who contract hepatitis A fully recover, and do not develop chronic hepatitis. Persons do not carry hepatitis A long-term as with hepatitis B and C.

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• In addition Seventy percent of hepatitis A infections in children younger than six years of age are asymptomatic; in older children and adults infection tends to be symptomatic with more than 70% of those infected developing jaundice (CDC 2009c)