Best test to diagnose prodrome of Hepatitis A ?
High-Yield Explanation
Ans. is 'c' i.e., IgM anti-HAV Lab diagnosis of HAV "Detection of IgM - specific anti-HAV in the blood of an acutely infected patient confirms the diagnosis of hepatitis A". IgM appears in acute phase, peaking about 2 weeks after elevation of liver enzymes and becomes undetectable within 3-6 months. ELISA is the method of choice for measuring antibodies. Diagnosis can also be established by detection of virus in the stool from about 2 weeks prior to the onset of jaundice up to 2 weeks after. "But these tests for detection of HAV, are not widely available or useful in practice".