Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is virus that causes inflammation of the liver. It is spread through person to person contact and food and water contamination. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, jaundice.

Hepatitis A is a virus that causes inflammation in the liver.  It is spread through person to person contact (infected person does not wash hands properly) and through contaminated foods or water.  Fortunately rates of hepatitis A, estimated at 25,000 in 2007, are extremely low in the United States. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world it is quite common and with traveling, people are at higher risk of infection. 

Adults with hepatitis A, on average, lose 27 days of work.  Annual costs are estimated at $488.8 million. Hepatitis A is the most common VPD in travelers and an easy solution to preventing an infection is for employees to receive the hepatitis A vaccine, especially if they are traveling to a country where it is endemic.

Prevention: Hepatitis A vaccine.

Frequency: Two doses are recommended for all children, travelers, and those at high risk of infection.