How do you get hepatitis A?

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) is found in the 

stool (poop) of persons with hepatitis A. 

HAV is spread from person to person by 

putting anything in the mouth that has been 

contaminated with the stool of a person with 

hepatitis A. The virus is easily spread in 

areas where there is poor sanitation or poor 

personal hygiene.

Persons with hepatitis A can spread the virus 

to household members or to sexual partners. 

Casual contact as in the usual office, 

factory or school setting, does not spread 

the virus.

Who is more likely to get 

hepatitis A?

 Persons who 

 share a 

 household or 

 have sexual 

 contact with 

 someone who 

 has hepatitis A

 Men who have 

 sex with men

 Persons who 

 use street drugs

 Children and employees in child care 

 centers (especially centers that have 

 children in diapers) where a child or an 

 employee has hepatitis A

 Travelers to 

 countries where 

 hepatitis A is 

 common

 Persons with

 clotting factor 

 disorders who 

 receive factor 

 concentrates

 Residents and 

 staff of 

 institutions for 

 developmentally disabled persons when 

 a resident or an employee has hepatitis A

 Workers who handle HAV-infected 

 animals or work with HAV in a research 

 laboratory setting (This does not include 

 laboratories doing routine testing.)

 Persons depicted in these materials are models

 and used for illustrative purposes only.

January 2006

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH 

AND HUMAN SERVICES

Hepatitis A can affect anyone. Hepatitis A is 

still a common disease in the United States. 

Young children can be infected with the virus 

but not show symptoms. These children often 

spread the illness to older children and adults. 

Good personal hygiene and proper sanitation 

can help prevent hepatitis A. Vaccines are also 

available for long-term prevention of 

hepatitis A virus infection in persons 1 year of 

age and older. Immune globulin is available 

for short-term prevention of hepatitis A virus 

infection in all ages.

Prevent 

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused 

by the hepatitis A virus.

For more information on hepatitis A

access our website at

www.cdc.gov/hepatitis

or access international travel website at

www.cdc.gov/travel

or call the international travel information 

1-877-FYITRIP (1-877-394-8747)

or write

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Division of Viral Hepatitis, Mailstop G37

Atlanta, GA 30333

or contact your state or local health department
How do you know if you 

have hepatitis A?

Children who are infected often have no 

symptoms. Three of every four adults who 

get hepatitis A have symptoms. Symptoms 

usually develop over a period of several 

days. 

Symptoms may include:

 yellow eyes  tiredness

 dark urine  loss of appetite

 nausea  stomach ache

 fever  vomiting

A person can spread HAV about one week 

before symptoms appear and during the 

first week of symptoms. Persons with no 

symptoms can still spread the virus. This 

often happens with young children who 

unknowingly spread HAV to older children 

and adults. 

Hepatitis A usually does not cause death. 

There is no chronic (long-lasting) infection 

with hepatitis A. Recovering from the disease produces lifelong immunity from future 

HAV infection. Once a person recovers 

from hepatitis A, he/she will never get 

it again.

How can you prevent 

hepatitis A?

You should always 

wash your hands after 

using the bathroom, 

changing a diaper, or 

before preparing or 

eating food. 

Hepatitis A vaccines 

provide long-term 

protection against hepatitis A and can be 

given to persons 1 year of age and older.

Children and adults need hepatitis A vaccine 

for long-term protection. You will either 

need two shots of hepatitis A vaccine or 

three shots of the combination hepatitis A 

and hepatitis B vaccine. After getting your 

first shot, your doctor or nurse will tell you 

when to return for the second shot.

Immune globulin, (IG) might be used for 

short-term protection in two situations:

 for travelers instead of, or in addition

 to hepatitis A vaccine

 for unvaccinated persons, who have 

recently been exposed to HAV. 

Immune globulin must be given within two 

weeks of exposure to HAV in order to work.

Can you get hepatitis A

from food or water?

In addition to getting hepatitis A directly 

from infected people, you can get 

hepatitis A by:

 eating fruits, vegetables, or other food 

 that may have become contaminated 

 during handling

 eating raw shellfish harvested from 

 sewage-contaminated water

 swallowing contaminated water or ice.

Can HAV be killed?

The virus is killed by heating to 185 degrees 

Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius) for 1 minute. However, the virus can still be spread by 

cooked foods if they are contaminated after 

cooking. Adequate chlorination of water, 

as recommended in the United States, kills 

HAV.

Who should receive 

hepatitis A vaccine?

 Children in states and counties with 

 consistently increased rates of hepatitis A 

 (County and state health departments 

 can tell you whether your areas have 

 these higher hepatitis A rates.)

 Men who have 

 sex with men

 Persons who 

 use street drugs

 Persons who 

 work in or travel 

 to countries 

 where infection 

 with hepatitis A virus is common (For 

 the most protection, first dose should be 

 given at least 4 weeks before travel.)

 Persons with chronic liver disease

 Persons with clotting factor disorders, 

 such as hemophilia

 Persons who work with HAV-infected 

 animals or work with HAV in a research 

 setting (Hepatitis A vaccine is not 

 generally recommended for health care 

 workers.)

CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION