Which one of the following statements about hepatitis A virus is correct?
- A It is an enveloped double-stranded DNA virus
- B It frequently progresses to a chronic carrier state
- C It is a non-enveloped single-stranded RNA virus of the family Picornaviridae ✓
- D It requires hepatitis B virus for its replication
Correct answer: C. It is a non-enveloped single-stranded RNA virus of the family Picornaviridae
Explanation
Hepatitis A virus is a small, non-enveloped, single-stranded RNA virus classified in the family Picornaviridae, genus Hepatovirus. Its lack of an envelope accounts for its resistance to ether, acid, and heat, and for faecal-oral survival. Option B is the tempting distractor because HBV and HCV cause chronic carriage, but HAV never produces a chronic carrier state or chronic liver disease. Option D describes HDV, which needs HBV, not the reverse.
Reference: Ananthanarayan and Paniker's Textbook of Microbiology, 11th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
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