Inova Health Online Hepatitis A is not spread by coughing, sneezing or other casual contact such as sitting next to a person or being in the same room. Groups at increased risk for hepatitis A, according to Ms. Brender, include travelers to developing countries, injecting drug users, men who have sex with men, and possibly children and workers in daycare centers where outbreaks occasionally occur. Symptoms include fatigue, mild fever, flu-like illness, nausea and vomiting, stomachache and loss of appetite.
Diagnosis is made through a blood test.
Average incubation period is 30 days, but it can range from 15 to 50 days, and people can be contagious up to 14 days before symptoms appear. Treatment, says Ms. Brender, is mainly rest, a low-fat diet and plenty of liquids. Once you get it, you will never get it again. People who have recovered from hepatitis A do not continue to carry the virus. Healthy people rarely die from hepatitis A, and most people recover in a few weeks.