Hepatitis A virus (HAV) Hepatitis A virus (HAV) was originally called “infectious hepatitis” or “short-incubation hepatitis,” and has an incubation period of 3-4 weeks (range, 2-6.5 weeks). HAV is highly contagious. During active infection it is excreted in the stool and is usually transmitted via fecal contamination of water or food. However, infection by fecal […]