{"id":1755,"date":"2019-08-31T20:37:01","date_gmt":"2019-08-31T20:37:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahmeysclinic.com\/?page_id=1755"},"modified":"2021-08-01T14:47:15","modified_gmt":"2021-08-01T14:47:15","slug":"hepatitis-a","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/ahmeysclinic.com\/travel-health\/hepatitis-a\/","title":{"rendered":"Hepatitis A"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hepatitis A<\/h2>\n

Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is contracted via the excrement of an infected person and is, therefore, usually spread through drinking water or eating food contaminated by human waste or sewage. Also, it can be spread from person to person by those with poor hygiene that handle and prepare food. Therefore, you are at greater risk if you are travelling to countries with poor sanitation, such as parts of Africa, the Indian subcontinent,\u00a0the Far East, the Middle East, and Central and South America.<\/p>\n

There is an increased risk of contracting hepatitis A if you inject drugs using contaminated equipment or have sex with someone who already has hepatitis A (this is a particular risk for men who have sex with other men).<\/p>\n

Hepatitis A is not usually serious and most people make a full recovery after a few months with no long-term effects and once it passes will often have lifelong immunity to it. Hepatitis A is only life-threatening, with a risk of liver failure, in rare cases and usually occurs in those of advanced age with a pre-existing liver condition.<\/p>\n

Symptoms<\/h2>\n

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The incubation period of hepatitis A is generally around 28 days. However, it can be up to 50 days.<\/p>\n

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Symptoms are often mild or non-existent in young children. Hepatitis A tends to show increasingly serious symptoms with advancing age. The symptoms that may appear after the incubation period include:<\/p>\n

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