Hepatitis A is a virus that can infect the liver. The infection goes away on its own and doesn’t lead to long-term liver problems, rarely, it can be serious. Hepatitis A is contracted from eating food or drinking contaminated with human waste. The virus is found in the stool of an infected person. The risks can come from a restaurant worker whom has hepatitis A and do not wash his/her hands properly after using the restroom and then go prepare someone’s food. The disease can be also spread in daycare centers if a child is infected. Especially those in diapers, may get stool on their hand and touch objects that other children might play with and the other children put their hands in their mouth. And workers can spread the virus if they don’t wash their hands well after changing a diaper.
The mode of transmission is food or water-borne. Hepatitis A is a communicable (or contagious) disease that often spreads from person to person. Food related outbreaks are usually associated with contamination of food during preparation by a HAV-infected food handler. The food handler is generally not ill because the peak time of infectivity –that is, when the most virus is present in the stool of an infected person, occurs 2 weeks before the illness begins. Although ingestion of contaminated food is common means of spread of hepatitis A, it may also spread by household contact among families or roommates, sexual contact, or by direct contact, especially those who share illicit drugs. Children have unrecognized infections and can pass the virus through ordinary play.

Example of real life outbreaks in the US of Hepatitis A
Fresh produce contaminated during cultivation, harvesting, processing, and distribution has been a source of hepatitis A. In 1997, frozen strawberries were the source of a hepatitis A outbreak in 5 states. Six years late, in 2003, fresh green onions were to blame of another hepatitis A outbreak in Pennsylvania traced to a consumption of food, due to tainted onions.

Symptoms of Hepatitis A is Feeling tired, feeling sick to your stomach, not feeling hungry, losing weight without trying, pain on your right side of your belly under your ribs, a fever, sore muscles, yellow skin, dark urine, and clay-colored stool. After you have