A 37-year-old male with nausea, vomiting, and jaundice after eating raw oysters is likely infected with which pathogen?

The symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and jaundice following the consumption of raw oysters strongly indicate an infection with Hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A is often transmitted through the fecal-oral route, particularly due to contamination of food and water—raw oysters can be vectors for the virus if they are harvested from contaminated waters. In areas where sanitation practices are inadequate, oysters can become contaminated with the Hepatitis A virus, leading to gastrointestinal symptoms followed by liver involvement, which is characterized by jaundice.

Hepatitis A typically presents with acute symptoms, including fever, malaise, and gastrointestinal issues. The onset of jaundice in conjunction with the ingestion of raw shellfish aligns well with this viral infection. Additionally, unlike Hepatitis B and C, Hepatitis A does not result in chronic infection, and it is a vaccine-preventable disease.

Other options like Hepatitis B and C are generally not associated with the consumption of raw seafood and present differently, typically affecting people through blood-to-blood contact. Epstein-Barr virus, on the other hand, is more associated with infectious mononucleosis and does not typically cause jaundice following the consumption of seafood. Thus, the clinical context of the exposure and symptoms leads to the conclusion that Hep