Those who do have symptoms of infection may develop them over a period of several days. ![]() Often, people who are infected with hepatitis A will not have any symptoms. If you or your child is traveling to areas in the world where there is a high prevalence of hepatitis A infection, you should take proper precautions - such as receiving the hepatitis A vaccine - before traveling. As a result, many people contract the infection. However, many countries in the world do not have effective facilities to kill the virus. In the U.S., hepatitis A virus is relatively uncommon because the water and sewage treatment facilities in this country are effective in killing most hepatitis A virus that may enter the water supply. The virus is easily spread in areas that have poor sanitation or poor personal hygiene. The virus can even survive on toys and be passed from child to child. When people come in contact with infected stool and do not wash their hands properly with soap and water, they can become infected.Ĭhildren can spread the gastrointestinal (GI) virus unsuspectingly from poor hand-washing. Infected people excrete the virus in their stools (poop). Typically, the virus is spread in households from person to person (horizontal transmission), and from contaminated food and water. ![]() Anyone can become infected with hepatitis A virus infection. ![]() Each year in the United States about 8,500 people become infected with hepatitis A virus, many of whom are children. The virus causes inflammation of the liver (hepatitis). Hepatitis A is a virus that infects the liver.
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