Hepatitis A

The virus is found in contaminated water and feces. You may have eaten raw fruit or vegetables handled by an infected person who did not wash their hands properly or you may have eaten raw or improperly cooked seafood that had fed in contaminated waters. Children are often infected by HAV and either do not become sick or have very mild symptoms such as fever and diarrhea, and are often thought to have “flu.”

Yes. There is a vaccine available. It is recommended for people traveling to underdeveloped countries, for children who live in parts of the United States where HAV is common, and for those who have damage to their liver from some other cause.