Hepatitis A FAQ (adapted from CDC)

Hepatitis A is a virus from the Picornavirus family that tends to affect the gastrointestinal system, especially the liver. Among the different types of viral hepatitis, Hepatitis A is regarded as the least severe syndrome as it is self-limited, and most patients fully recover after an infection.
The virus has an incubation period of 28 days on average but ranges from 15 to 50 days.
People infected with Hepatitis A are contagious shortly after being infected. They will remain contagious through the rest of the incubation period until about a week after the appearance of jaundice.

Hepatitis A is spread fecal-orally, which means one must ingest something contaminated with fecal matter from an infected person. The contamination may be imperceptible, as very little fecal material is required to be ingested to result in infection.
Infections most commonly result from travel to a country where hepatitis A is endemic.
Exposure to food or water contaminated with hepatitis A is a common cause of outbreaks. Waterborne infection is less common in developed countries as water sanitation is more prevalent.
Hepatitis A virus can be spread through close contact with an infected person, and the risk of infection is increased among men who have sex with men, those who work closely with the homeless, and injection drug use.

Vaccination is the single most effective means of preventing Hepatitis A infection.
Proper hand hygiene is crucial in preventing the spread of Hepatitis A, especially after using the restroom, changing diapers, and before preparing or eating food.
Thorough cooking or washing of food is also crucial to reducing infection rates, since food can easily be contaminated during the harvesting or transportation process.
When traveling to developing nations, receiving a vaccine before travel and exercising precautions such as only drinking purified or pre-bottled water and avoiding the consumption of street food, or food that is not cooked can help in preventing infection.
Because it is possible to be infected without having any symptoms, it is always important to exercise and encourage precautions to reduce spread.

Receiving the Hepatitis A vaccine helps to protect yourself from contracting the disease and prevents the potential spread of the virus.
Maintaining appropriate hand hygiene also offers protection in contracting and spreading the virus.

People with known Hepatitis A infection may present with fatigue, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and nausea/vomiting.
- Some patients can develop jaundice, a condition in which the patient’s skin turns yellow due to hepatic dysfunction.
- About 30% of adults who have been infected with Hepatitis A may not develop any symptoms, and children are most often asymptomatic.
Diagnosis can be made using a blood test that looks for antibodies produced by the body to fight the virus that is present from the start of the symptoms.
The differential for symptomatic hepatitis A includes the other forms of viral hepatitis (B, C, D, and E). Also included are Yellow Fever or Epstein-Barr virus, sometimes called mononucleosis or mono. Hepatitis A can also look like non-infectious diseases such as alcoholic hepatitis or drug-induced liver injury.

Hepatitis A usually resolves without any interventions. As such, treatment consists of supportive therapy to manage their symptoms. It is essential to hydrate the patient presenting with common symptoms of vomiting or diarrhea.
If you believe you or others have been exposed to Hepatitis A, it is important to get tested immediately. The Florida Department of Health requires that labs report all positive Hepatitis A tests.

In severe cases of Hepatitis A, dehydration may become a significant concern and can lead to intravascular volume depletion and/or hypovolemic shock if left untreated.

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