What is Hepatitis A?

A girl I know has it. Is it contagious? How did she get it?

Hepatitis A is caused by a virus and is transmitted by eating food that is contaminated. It is NOT sexually transmitted. It is spread by feco-oral contact; that is from unhygienic practices from someone who has it, from them not washing their hands after using the bathroom or something, and then them touching and infecting someone's food. It usually resolves by itself and usually doesnt have any serious outcomes.To prevent just make sure you eat clean, well prepared food. And the person who has it should keep clean and wash hands etc to prevent from spreading it.

an inflammatory viral disease of the liver with a short incubation period. HAV may be transmitted by eating contaminated food, by fecal-oral contact, and/or through household contact. Hepatitis A may be mild to severe; symptoms include fever, nausea, and jaundice. Two-dose and three-dose anti-HAV vaccines are available.

www.thebody.com/sfaf/summer01/...
life
Hepatitis A is an enterovirus transmitted by the orofecal route, such as contaminated food. It causes an acute form of hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), does not have a chronic stage, and will not cause any permanent damage to the liver. The patient's immune system makes antibodies against Hepatitis A that confer immunity against future infection. A vaccine is available that will prevent infection from hepatitis A for life.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hepatitis_a...
Hepatitis A is an enterovirus transmitted by the orofecal route, such as contaminated food. It causes an acute form of hepatitis (inflammation of the liver), does not have a chronic stage, and will not cause any permanent damage to the liver. The patient's immune system makes antibodies against Hepatitis A that confer immunity against future infection. A vaccine is available that will prevent infection from hepatitis A for life.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hepatitis_a...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/hepatitis_a...