Hepatitis A Virus (HAV) is a highly contagious virus that causes acute liver infection.

IgM antibodies appear early in infection and indicate recent or ongoing HAV infection.

Clinical uses include:

Diagnosing acute Hepatitis A in symptomatic patients.

Differentiating HAV from other viral hepatitis infections (HBV, HCV, HEV).

Supporting public health surveillance and outbreak control.

HAV infection is usually self‑limiting and does not progress to chronic disease.

The test is often performed alongside HAV‑IgG to distinguish between acute infection and past immunity.

Analyte: IgM antibodies to Hepatitis A Virus in serum/plasma.

Normal Result: Negative (no IgM antibodies detected).

Abnormal Findings:

Positive HAV‑IgM: Indicates acute or recent Hepatitis A infection.

Negative HAV‑IgM with positive HAV‑IgG: Suggests past infection or immunity (vaccination).

Clinical Use:

Provides a specific marker for acute HAV infection.

Helps guide patient management and infection control measures.

Supports differentiation between acute and past HAV exposure.