Hepatitis A is an extremely contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. This virus is among one of the five hepatitis viruses that cause inflammation and affects the function of one’s liver.

Hepatitis A is among one the common causes of food-borne infection and is closely linked with unsafe food, poor hygiene, and sanitation. However,  it does not cause any chronic liver disease and is not usually fatal.

Based on the information provided by health experts, this virus occurs mainly in poor countries that are densely populated with poor sanitation. The most common instances of disease are found in countries in Asia,  Africa, and South America which have had sporadic outbreaks. 

 In 1988, there was an outbreak of Hepatitis A in Shanghai, China when over 30,000 cases were reported, 47 of which were fatal. Other outbreaks took place in Taiwan, Seine-Maritime in France, and Tokyo, Japan in June 2015, September 2017, December 2016, and  December 2017, 2018-2020,  respectively.  

Outbreaks of hepatitis have also taken place in the United States of America,  in 2016 there was an outbreak linked to  frozen strawberries, then in  2019  another was linked to fresh black berries. Hawaii too had an outbreak in 2016.    

The virus can be contracted through contaminated food, water, or by close contact with an object or an infected person. A mild form of the virus does not require treatment as most persons recover completely without serious liver damage. 

Good hygiene practices such as regular handwashing are a prerequisite in preventing the hepatitis A virus. For at-risk populations, there are vaccines available to aid in disease prevention and protection.

The signs and symptoms of hepatitis A take around 2-4 weeks to manifest although not everyone will develop them. Symptoms include fatigue, sudden nausea, vomiting, abdominal pains, or discomfort mainly on the upper right side beneath the rib (by the liver).

Additional symptoms include clay-coloured bowel movements, loss of appetite, and low-grade fever. Some persons acquire mild symptoms that disappear in a short time while others become severely ill in whom symptoms may persist for several months. 

According to health experts, receiving the hepatitis vaccine within two weeks after being exposed to the virus can prevent infection. The virus cannot be spread through coughing or sneezing but by ingesting food handled by someone who has the virus who failed to wash their hands thoroughly after using the toilet. 

Other ways a person can be infected include drinking contaminated water, eating raw shellfish from water polluted with sewage, and having sexual intercourse with someone infected with the virus can also put one at risk for contracting the virus.