> This virus is responsible for causing a disease Hepatitis A, a liver disease. Hepatitis A    does not have a chronic stage and does not cause permanent liver damage.

Virus classification-
   Group: Group IV ((+)ssRNA)
   Family: Picornaviridae
   Genus: Hepatovirus
   Species: Hepatitis A virus

Genome and proteins-
> It has a linear, single stranded, positive-sense RNA molecule tail approximately 7.5 kb    with complex secondary and tertiary structure and a central open reading frame    encoding a polyprotein that is flanked by highly structured, non-translated regions (5'    NTR and 3' NTR) and a 3' poly (A) tail and is capable of functioning directly as mRNA    when introduced into the cytoplasm of host cells.
> This virus is 27 nm in size, with an icosahedral structure. The genomic RNA of HAV    shares a general molecular organization and replication strategy with that of other    picornaviruses. There are three main regions in the genome:
   1. 5' untranslated (742 nt),
   2. ORF (6681 nt),
   3. 3' noncoding (63 nt).
> ORF is translated and simultaneously processed by a viral protease to make:
   4 structural proteins (VP1, 2,3,4)
   Capsid Polypeptides
   Anti-HAV binds VP1 and/or VP3)
> 7 non-structural proteins (2A,B,C; 3A, B, C, D)
   3C (protease),
   3D (RNA Polymerase)

Replication-
> HAV genomic replication occurs exclusively in the cytoplasm of the infected hepatocyte by a mechanism involving an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.