The hepatitis A virus is excreted in feces and may be carried on the hands of an infected person and spread to others. This occurs when the infected person performs inadequate hand washing after a bowel movement or after changing an infected baby's diapers or when the infected person prepares food that is not cooked after handling. Disease prevention experts said that although the hepatitis A vaccine has been available since 1995, the State Department of Public Health and Environment previously had limited supplies of the vaccine and could distribute the vaccine only to those counties with the highest rates of hepatitis A disease. However, with new additional assistance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the department's Immunization Program is now making the vaccine available to all children who visit community health clinics, public health clinics, or doctors participating in the federal Vaccines for Children program. It usually is not life threatening.
Symptoms can include fever, nausea, diarrhea, tiredness and jaundice.
Symptoms usually appear 20 to 30 days after exposure. Older people are more likely to have symptoms than children. The hepatitis A virus is found in the stools of people with the virus and is spread by close contact and sometimes by eating or drinking contaminated food. Good personal hygiene and proper sanitation can help prevent hepatitis A. A vaccine against this infection was licensed in 1995. Hepatitis B Hepatitis B is a life-threatening viral disease of the liver.