Hepatitis A is a virus that attacks the liver and makes it inflammed. It is a mild- severe illness Hepatitis A can cause fever, nausea, diarrhea, jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Symptoms of Hepatitis A can occur two to seven weeks after coming in contact with the virus. This makes it very tricky to tell if one has the virus, especially because the shot doesn’t work after fourteen days. Children younger than the age of six may have no symptoms, while older children and adults often get mild, flu-like symptoms. The severity of the disease and fatal outcomes are higher in older age groups rather than younger age groups. The Hepatitis A virus is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person. Hepatitis A is one of the most frequent causes of food borne infection. The virus is an infection associated with lack of safe water and poor hygiene. Unlike Hepatitis B and C, Hepatitis A infection does not cause chronic liver disease and is not always fatal, but it can cause debilitating symptoms and fulminant hepatitis (acute liver failure) which is often very fatal. The virus occurs sporadically and in epidemics worldwide, with a tendency for cyclic recurrences. It can take weeks or even months for people recovering from the illness to return to work, school, or even daily life. Area with high levels of infection are areas such as developing countries with poor sanitary conditions and hygienic practices. Ninety percent of children who live in these developing countries get the Hepatitis A virus before the age of ten years old. Epidemics are uncommon with older children and adults because they are generally immune to the virus, making outbreaks very
Hepatitis A is a virus that attacks the liver and makes it inflammed. It is a mild- severe illness Hepatitis A can cause fever, nausea, diarrhea, jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Symptoms of Hepatitis A can occur two to seven weeks after coming in contact with the virus. This makes it very tricky to tell if one has the virus, especially because the shot doesn’t work after fourteen days. Children younger than the age of six may have no symptoms, while older children and adults often get mild, flu-like symptoms. The severity of the disease and fatal outcomes are higher in older age groups rather than younger age groups. The Hepatitis A virus is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person. Hepatitis A is one of the most frequent causes of food borne infection. The virus is an infection associated with lack of safe water and poor hygiene. Unlike Hepatitis B and C, Hepatitis A infection does not cause chronic liver disease and is not always fatal, but it can cause debilitating symptoms and fulminant hepatitis (acute liver failure) which is often very fatal. The virus occurs sporadically and in epidemics worldwide, with a tendency for cyclic recurrences. It can take weeks or even months for people recovering from the illness to return to work, school, or even daily life. Area with high levels of infection are areas such as developing countries with poor sanitary conditions and hygienic practices. Ninety percent of children who live in these developing countries get the Hepatitis A virus before the age of ten years old. Epidemics are uncommon with older children and adults because they are generally immune to the virus, making outbreaks very