All News / Outbreaks /

What to know about Hepatitis A

Viral hepatitis is a major global public health problem affecting hundreds of millions of people and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Five biologically unrelated hepatotropic viruses cause most of the global burden of viral hepatitis: hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), hepatitis D (delta) virus (HDV), and hepatitis E virus (HEV).

Hepatitis A is a communicable (or contagious) disease that is acquired primarily by the fecal oral route either from person to person or through contaminated food or water. Food-related outbreaks are most commonly associated with contamination of food during preparation by an HAV-infected food handler. The food handler may not recognize they are contagious or ill because the peak time of infectivity—that is, when the most virus is present in the stool of an infected individual—occurs during the two weeks before symptoms begin. The clinical manifestations and duration of illness vary a great deal, with many persons, especially young children, showing no symptoms at all. The clinical signs of HAV infection include dark urine and, sometimes, clay-colored stool, often accompanied or followed by jaundice. Associated symptoms may involve fever, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, headache, and extreme fatigue. Hepatitis A is the only common vaccine-preventable foodborne disease in the United States. Each year, approximately 3,700 to 10,000 cases of hepatitis A occur in the United States.

Get Help

Affected by an outbreak or recall?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

Get a free consultation
Related Resources
Hepatitis A Food Poisoning

An Introduction to Hepatitis A Viral hepatitis is a major global public health problem affecting hundreds of millions of people and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Five biologically...

The Incidence of Hepatitis A Infection

How common is Hepatitis A infection? Hepatitis A incidence varies between regions and is much more common in countries with underdeveloped sanitation systems; thus, contracting hepatitis A is a risk...

Transmission of Hepatitis A

How does Hepatitis A spread? Hepatitis A is a communicable (or contagious) disease that is acquired primarily by the fecal oral route either from person to person or through contaminated...

Symptoms of Hepatitis A Infection

What are the symptoms of Hepatitis A infection? Hepatitis A may cause no symptoms at all when it is contracted, especially in children. Asymptomatic individuals may only know they were...

Complications of Hepatitis A Infection

Fulminant hepatitis A, or acute liver failure, can be a complication of hepatitis A infection. Fulminant hepatitis A is a rare but devastating complication of HAV infection. As many as...

Outbreak Database

Looking for a comprehensive list of outbreaks?

The team at Marler Clark is here to answer all your questions. Find out if you’re eligible for a lawsuit, what questions to ask your doctor, and more.

View Outbreak Database