What is Hepatitis A?

[smartusha]

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). It can cause debilitating liver disease. Clinical Illness commonly last for about 4 weeks, but in 20% a relapse may occur and symptoms may persists for up to 6 months.
Hepatitis A is prevelent in places with poor standard of sanitation. As the standard of living is improving in developed countries, less cases are reported, there is an increased pool of non-immuned population who are at risk of contracting the disease if they are exposed to the virus.

The Symptoms
At the beginning, symptoms are like those of the flu - fever, stomach cramps, sickness, diarrhoea, tiredness, joint pain, headache and usually begin with loss of appetite, malaise, nausea, vomiting and increasing tiredness. A week later, they are followed by jaundice (yellowness) of the skin and the whites of the eyes. The symptoms can last up to 6 months in some individuals.

The Transmission
It is most frequently transmitted through ingestion of food (salads, fruits, other uncooked food) or drink contaminated with small amount of infected faecal matter. It can also be transmitted by shellfish taken from sewage-contaminated seawater, raw or partially cooked clams, oysters, cockles, and mussels or by close person-to-person contact with infected persons.

The People At Risk
1. Consumers of raw and semi-cooked shellfish
2. Food handlers
3. Close contacts of infected persons
4. Those providing day care to groups of young children, the mentally and physically handicapped persons.
5. Sewage workers
6. Inmates in homes for mentally retarded
7. Drug abusers
8. Individuals with underlying chronic liver disease such as Hepatitis B or C, other non-viral disease such as drug or alcoholism
9. People with clotting factor disorders
10. People working with hepatitis A virus in lab
11. Travelers to places with crowded, unhygenic living conditions

[amanda]

Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by a virus. It goes away on its own in almost all cases. The disease is caused by the hepatitis A virus. The virus is found in the stool of an infected person. It is spread when a person eats food or drinks water that has come in contact with infected stool.

[Ben_Swann77]

Hepatitis A infection is caused by the Hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A virus is passed in the stool of infected persons. Unlikely many others viruses, It survive long time in room temperature in food and other surface objects.   

[lisa25]

    * Hepatitis A [HEP-uh-TI-tus AY] is a contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus.
    * Hepatitis A virus is passed in the stool of infected persons.
    * Hepatitis A is usually spread from person to person by hand-to-mouth contact with stool from an infected person.
    * Prevention against hepatitis A includes:
 1) hepatitis A vaccine for long-term protection,
 2) good personal hygiene and sanitation, and
 3) immune globulin for short-term prevention.

[NPTI]

Hepatitis A is a transmissible liver disease. Hepatitis A infection is caused by the hepatitis A virus. Fever, Tiredness, Loss of appetite, Vomiting, stomach ache, whites of the eyes and yellowing of the skin are the some symptoms of hepatitis A. Hepatitis A can be diagnosed by a blood test called IgM anti-HAV.

[pachills]

Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver caused by the Hepatitis A virus (HAV). It also can be caused by some medications and chemicals that damage the liver.

[melanie14]

This form is caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV), which lives in the stools of infected individuals. Infected stool can be present in small amounts in food and on objects.

[sweetgirl]

Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by a virus. It goes away on its own in almost all cases. Hepatitis A does not lead to long-term liver problems.
Other forms of the virus (hepatitis B and hepatitis C) also cause hepatitis. Hepatitis A is the most common type.

[kevinhopes]

It is most frequently transmitted through ingestion of food (salads, fruits, other uncooked food) or drink contaminated with small amount of infected faecal matter. It can also be transmitted by shellfish taken from sewage-contaminated seawater, raw or partially cooked clams, oysters, cockles, and mussels or by close person-to-person contact with infected persons.

[electra]

Hepatitis A is one of five known viruses that cause inflammation of the liver (the others are B, C, D and E). The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 150,000 people in the U.S. are infected each year by Hepatitis A, a low rate compared to the rate in underdeveloped countries. The vast majority of people recover from the infection within six months without any serious health problems