Health encyclopaedia

Health encyclopaedia - Alphabetical Topic List

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is an infection that leads to inflammation of the liver and is caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is the most common type of viral hepatitis.

Hepatitis A does occur in the UK but it is more common in some other countries where sanitation and sewage disposal can be poor (particularly Africa, northern and southern Asia, Central America and southern and eastern Europe) and is particularly affects children and young adults.

The virus is mainly caught, by putting something in your mouth that has been contaminated with the stools of someone with hepatitis A.

Hepatitis A is usually an acute (short term) infection and though the symptoms can be unpleasant it is very rarely serious.

You can develop hepatitis A at any age. The incubation period (i.e. the time from coming into contact with the virus to developing the infection) is approximately between two and six weeks.

• Symptoms
• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention

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