Statistics

• In the United States, in 2001, there were nearly 11,000 reported acute cases of hepatitis A.
• Many more people had hepatitis A and did not know it. It is estimated that there were 45,000 actue case of hepatitis A nationally.
• Nearly one-third of the United States population has been infected with
  hepatitis A.

Who can become infected with hepatitis A?

• Hepatitis A can affect anyone.
• Some populations have a much greater risk for hepatitis A. They include:
  
  • Close family and friends of people already infected with hepatitis A
  • Sexual partners of infected persons
  • Persons, especially children, living in areas of the U.S. with consistently higher rates of hepatitis A
  • Persons traveling to countries, such as in Asia, where hepatitis A is common
  • Men who have sex with men
  • Injecting and non-injecting drug users

How does one become infected with hepatitis A?

• Hepatitis A is usually spread from person to person
• The most common way of spreading hepatitis A is through oral contact with something that has been contaminated by the feces of a person with hepatitis A. For example, eating raw foods that have been handled by someone with hepatitis A who did not wash his hands is one way of getting hepatitis A.

What are the symptoms of hepatitis A?

• Jaundice
• Fatigue
• Abdominal (stomach) pain
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Diarrhea
• Fever