Recovery from the illness can take people weeks or months, leading to time absent from work, school, or daily life.
Ingestion of contaminated food or water, close personal or sexual contact with an infected person, intravenous drug use.
worldwide annually (estimated in 2005).
Fever, malaise, loss of appetite, diarrhea, nausea, abdominal discomfort, dark-colored urine, and jaundice.
In rare instances, acute liver failure that can result in death.
Precautions against Hepatitis A, including good hygiene measures, safe eating and drinking habits, and vaccination, should be considered:
Personal hygiene practices, such as regular hand-washing with safe water after using the toilet and before preparing food.
Exercise caution when consuming food that could have been prepared by someone with the infection who hasn’t washed their hands properly or drinks made with contaminated water or ice cubes.
Avoid eating raw or undercooked shellfish.
