PetriKey

Virus

Hepatitis A virus

Nonenveloped positive-sense RNA hepatitis virus

hep-uh-TY-tis A

virusrnapositive-sensenonenvelopedhepatitisfecal-oral

High-yield clue

Nonenveloped positive-sense RNA + fecal-oral hepatitis vocabulary.

Overview

A nonenveloped RNA virus used to teach fecal-oral hepatitis vocabulary, acute self-limited course framing, and vaccine concepts.

Classification

  • Nonenveloped virus
  • Positive-sense RNA
  • Picornavirus family concept

Lab & identification clues

  • IgM serology vocabulary
  • Liver enzyme coursework context
  • No chronic infection concept in basic study

Associations

  • Foodborne outbreak vocabulary
  • Travel/public-health framing
  • Vaccine concept

Commonly confused with

  • Hepatitis B virus
  • Hepatitis C virus
  • Norovirus

Your notes

Original student-study summary. Sources checked: OpenStax Microbiology 2e, NCBI Bookshelf Medical Microbiology, and CDC topic pages where applicable; reviewed 2026-06. Educational only; no diagnosis, treatment, dosing, or specimen-handling guidance.

OpenStax: Microbiology 2e organism classification foundationssourceNCBI Bookshelf: Medical Microbiology organism chapterssourceCDC: CDC disease and public-health topic pagessource