Courtesy of Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention
|
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man has yellowing skin and eyes (one
sign of hepatitis A)
Hepatitis A
•
serious liver disease caused by a virus
(germ)
•
more than 100,000 people get infected
each year in the U.S.
Hepatitis A virus (germ)
•
transmitted by swallowing the virus
(fecal-oral route)
•
spreads through
•
household contact with someone
who has hepatitis A
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not washing hands after going to the
bathroom and then preparing or
touching food with dirty hands
•
eating contaminated food or drinking
contaminated water
•
travel to a country with high rates of
hepatitis A
•
sexual contact with a person who
has hepatitis A
Once infected
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takes an average of 1 month to get sick
Symptoms
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can last for 3 to 4 weeks
•
loss of appetite, nausea, or vomiting
•
pain in stomach
•
weakness and tiredness
•
yellow skin and eyes
•
fever and headaches
•
dark urine
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once the infection goes away,
symptoms will recur in one out
of ten people
Complications
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low energy levels for up to one year
•
hospitalization
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death (more common in people who
already have liver disease)
Hepatitis A is easy to prevent with
vaccine. Many children 2 years of age and older and many adults need
this vaccine. |
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