Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. This virus spreads primarily when uninfected (and unvaccinated) people ingest food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person. This disease is closely linked to unsafe water or food, inadequate sanitation, and poor personal hygiene.

Unlike hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A infection does not cause chronic liver disease and is rarely fatal, but it can cause debilitating symptoms and fulminant hepatitis (acute liver failure), which is often fatal. The hepatitis A virus is transmitted primarily through the fecal-oral route; that is, when an uninfected person ingests food or water contaminated with the feces of an infected person. Within a household, this can occur even if the infected person prepares food for family members with dirty hands.

Symptoms of hepatitis A range from mild to severe and may include fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark urine, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes). Not everyone who is infected will experience all of these symptoms. Improved sanitation, food safety, and immunization are the most effective ways to combat hepatitis A​