Hepatitis A

What Is It?

Hepatitis A is a viral infection that can inflame and damage the liver. Unlike other forms of hepatitis, hepatitis A is usually mild, and does not last long. Usually spread in contaminated food or water, hepatitis A also can be passed during sexual practices that involve the anus. In rare cases, hepatitis A can be spread by contact with the blood of a person who has the infection, for instance, when intravenous drug users share needles.

About 30 percent of people in the United States have been exposed to hepatitis A, but only a very small number of them get the disease. Americans most likely to get hepatitis A include:

• People who eat shellfish taken from waters where raw sewage drains
• Children and caregivers in daycare centers who are exposed to the stool of an infected child
• International travelers

Symptoms

If the infection is mild, there may not be any symptoms, especially in a child. When symptoms appear, they can include:

• Tiredness
• Loss of appetite
• Fever
• Nausea
• Tenderness in the stomach area
• Dark, tea colored urine
• Yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice)

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask you whether you have eaten shellfish recently or traveled to a foreign country with poor sanitation. He or she will ask about your personal hygiene habits and whether you have been near someone who has hepatitis A.

Your doctor will exam you to check for swelling and tenderness near your liver, and for a yellowish color of your skin and the whites of your eyes. You will have to have blood tests to confirm the diagnosis and to see whether your liver has been damaged.

Expected Duration

Hepatitis A usually lasts two to eight weeks, although some people can be ill for as long as six months. The infection is likely to last longer in people who are older or are in poor health.

Prevention

You can reduce your risk of getting hepatitis A by following these basic guidelines:

• Wash your hands thoroughly with soap after handling food, after using the bathroom, and before eating.
• Buy shellfish only at reputable food stores or restaurants.
• If you catch your own shellfish, make sure that it comes from waters inspected regularly by health authorities.