Frequently Asked Questions

• International travelers, particularly those traveling to developing countries.
• People who live with or have sex with an infected person.
• People living in areas where children are not routinely vaccinated against Hepatitis A, where outbreaks are more likely.
• Employees and children at day care centers during outbreaks.
• Have sexual contact with someone who has HAV including men who have sex with men.
• Users of recreational drugs, injection or other.
• Have clotting factor disorders, such as hemophilia.

Hepatitis A usually spreads when a person unknowingly ingests the virus from objects, food, or drinks contaminated by small, undetected amounts of stool from an infected person. Hepatitis A can also spread from close personal contact with an infected person such as through sex or caring for someone who is ill.

If symptoms occur, they usually start appearing 4 weeks after exposure, but can occur as early as 2 and as late as 7 weeks after exposure. Symptoms usually develop over a period of several days.

Symptoms usually last less than 2 months, although some people (10% to 15%) with hepatitis A can have symptoms for as long as 6 months.

Yes. Many people, especially children, have no symptoms. In addition, a person can transmit the virus to others up to 2 weeks before symptoms appear

Older children and adults typically have symptoms. If symptoms develop, they can appear abruptly and can include:

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Dark urine
• Clay-colored stools
• Joint pain
• Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)

Most children younger than age 6 do not have symptoms when they have hepatitis A. When symptoms are present, young children typically do not have jaundice but most older children and adults with hepatitis A have jaundice.