Hepatitis A

Overview

Hepatitis A is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The disease is often mild but can cause liver failure and death, more common in older people and people with health risk factors. The disease is contagious and spreads through close contact, as well as by eating contaminated food. The best way to prevent hepatitis A is to get the hepatitis A vaccine.

Spread (transmission)

Anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated or who hasn’t been previously infected can get HAV. Certain risk factors make a person more prone to infection.

HAV is spread when someone ingests the virus. This happens through person-to-person contact or by eating or drinking contaminated food.

Symptoms

Not all people who have hepatitis A have symptoms. Adults are more likely than children to have symptoms

If the symptoms do occur, they often appear 2-7 weeks after exposure to the virus and usually last less than two months. However, people can feel sick for many months.

Symptoms include:

  • Dark urine or clay-colored stools
  • Diarrhea
  • Feeling tired
  • Fever
  • Joint pain
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea, stomach pain, throwing up
  • Yellow skin or eyes (jaundice)

Treatment

The symptoms of hepatitis A can be treated, and doctors recommend people living with hepatitis practice healthy eating and hydrating.

Complications

People usually recover and don’t have liver damage from hepatitis A.

Complications can occur. The complications include:

  • Cholestatic hepatitis: The bile in the liver is obstructed on its way to the gallbladder, which can cause jaundice and weight loss
  • Relapsing hepatitis: Liver inflammation, such as jaundice, recur periodically but are not chronic (most common in older adults)
  • Autoimmune hepatitis: The body attacks the liver, and if left untreated, could result in chronic liver disease, cirrhosis, and ultimately, liver failure
  • Liver failure: This is most common in older adults, people with established liver diseases, and/or weakened immune system

Vaccine

Children and adults should be protected from hepatitis A.

See the hepatitis A vaccine recommendations.

Strange and interesting

Since 2016 there have been outbreaks in multiple states caused by person-to-person transmission. Newly-reported cases of HAV have been climbing been climbing. And more than half are occurring among non-Hispanic White people.

Resources