8 Important Facts About Hepatitis A; Symptoms, Treatment And More

How Hepatitis A Is Spread

There are several ways in which hepatitis A can be spread from one person to another. Close contact with an infected individual, such as sexual intercourse or engaging in other intimate activities increases the risk of contracting the disease considerably. Infections are also common in regions of the world with high poverty rates and poor hygiene. As a result, many children in developing countries contract the disease early on in life. In addition, overcrowding is a significant factor in the spread of the disease; overpopulated areas report higher annual rates of infection than less populated areas do. Shellfish that has not been cooked properly or that has come from polluted water is another common catalyst for the disease. Humans are the only natural reservoirs or long-term hosts of the hepatitis A virus; it is not carried or spread by any other animal.