Hepatitis A
Facts
Hepatitis A is a vaccine-preventable liver disease that usually spreads when a person ingests fecal matter—even in small amounts—from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the stool of an infected person. Hepatitis A also can spread from close personal contact with an infected person, such as through sex.
Symptoms
Symptoms of Hepatitis A include fatigue, low appetite, stomach pain, nausea, clay-colored stools and jaundice. Most people who get Hepatitis A feel sick for several months, but they usually recover completely and do not have lasting liver damage. Sometimes Hepatitis A can cause liver failure and death, although this is rare and occurs more commonly in people older than 50 and people with other liver diseases.
Who is at risk
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men who have sex with men
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people who use street drugs, whether they are injected or not
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people with blood clotting factor disorders
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people with chronic liver disease
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household members and other close contacts of adopted children newly arrived from countries where Hepatitis A is common.
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those with direct contact with individuals infected with the virus
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travelers to countries where the virus is prevalent