ARCHIVED - Hepatitis A

 


Nationally notifiable from 1927-1958, 1969 onwards

1.0 National Notification

Only confirmed cases of disease should be notified.

2.0 Type of Surveillance

Routine case-by-case notification to the federal level

3.0 Case Classification

3.1 Confirmed case

Laboratory confirmation of infection in the absence of recent vaccination:

  • detection of immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody to hepatitis A virus (anti HAV)
    AND
  • Acute clinical illness (see section 5.0)
    OR
  • An epidemiologic link to a person with laboratory-confirmed hepatitis A infection.

3.2 Probable case

Acute clinical illness in a person without laboratory confirmation of infection who is epidemiologically linked to a confirmed case

4.0 Laboratory Comments

IgM positive results can be a true positive but reflect a remote infection, as HAV-IgM can remain detectable for years after an acute infection because of trailing IgM or the non-disappearance of anti- HAV IgM after recent infection. Acute/recent infection should be confirmed with clinical history symptoms and by repeat titre after 7 to 10 days.

5.0 Clinical Evidence

Acute clinical illness is characterized by discrete onset of symptoms, including fever, malaise, anorexia, nausea and abdominal pain followed by jaundice or elevated aminotransferase levels within a few days.

6.0 ICD Code(s)

6.1 ICD-10 Code(s)

B15.0
Hepatitis A with hepatic coma
B15.9
Hepatitis A without hepatic coma [Hepatitis A (acute)(viral) not otherwise specifi ed (NOS)]

6.2 ICD-9/ICD-9CM Code(s)

070.0
Viral hepatitis A with hepatic coma
070.1
Viral hepatitis A without mention of hepatic coma

7.0 Type of International Reporting

8.0 Comments

Probable case definitions are provided as guidelines to assist with case finding and public health management, and are not for national notification purposes.

9.0 References

Date of Last Revision/Review:

May 2008


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