Hepatitis A

A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• U
• V
• W
• X
• Y
• Z

	Digestive system organs	Erythema multiforme, circular lesions - hands	Fly
Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is inflammation (irritation and swelling) of the liver from the hepatitis A virus.

See also:

• Hepatitis
• Hepatitis A vaccine
• Hepatitis B
• Hepatitis C

Viral hepatitis; Infectious hepatitis

The hepatitis A virus is found mostly in the stools and blood of an infected person about 15 - 45 days before symptoms occur and during the first week of illness.

You can catch hepatitis A if:

• You eat or drink food or water that has been contaminated by stools (feces) containing the hepatitis A virus (fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice, and water are common sources of the hepatitis A virus)
• You come in contact with the stool or blood of a person who currently has the disease
• A person with hepatitis A does not wash his or her hands properly after going to the bathroom and touches other objects or food
• You participate in sexual practices that involve oral-anal contact

---

---

About 3,600 cases of hepatitis A are reported each year. Because not everyone has symptoms with hepatitis A infection, many more people are infected than are diagnosed or reported.

Risk factors include:

• International travel, especially to Asia or South or Central America
• IV drug use
• Living in a nursing home or rehabilitation center
• Working in a health care, food, or sewage industry

Other common hepatitis virus infections include hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Hepatitis A is the least serious and mildest of these diseases. The other hepatitis infections may become chronic illnesses, but hepatitis A does not become chronic.

Review Date: 11/23/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).