Hepatitis A is disease of the liver, caused by the hepatitis A virus. After the hepatitis virus enters your body, it can take from 15 to 50 days before you feel sick. The symptoms can be so mild that many people are not aware that they have the disease. The symptoms may last from 1 to 2 weeks to several months. Most people recover completely and then are immune to re-infection.
Death can occur, but is rare.
The hepatitis A virus is found in the bowel movements of infected persons, even though they may not know they are ill. Once infected, a person can pass the virus on to others for two weeks or more before they even know they are sick themselves. And, they are still infectious for up to one week after they get sick. Hepatitis A can also be caught by drinking contaminated water, or by eating raw or under-cooked shellfish such as crabs, clams, oysters or mussels that have been exposed to sewage. Travellers to developing countries are more likely to be exposed to contaminated food and water.