liver and gallbladder disorders
Hepatitis A
Transmission of hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is usually spread when people ingest the virus after touching an object or consuming food or drinks that are contaminated by the stool of an infected person (called the Fecal-oral transmission of parasites ). Spread usually occurs because of poor hygiene—for example, when an infected person prepares food with unwashed hands. Shellfish taken from waters where raw sewage drains are sometimes contaminated and can cause infection when they are eaten raw. Hepatitis A is sometimes spread in day care centers, where caregivers and children can come in contact with infected stool in diapers. People can spread the virus before they develop symptoms—before they know they are infected. Epidemics, usually linked to contamination of water supplies by stool, are common, especially in developing countries. Hepatitis A does not become a chronic infection. After acute hepatitis resolves, people can no longer transmit the virus to others. 