County of Los Angeles
Department of Public Health
Acute Communicable Disease Control
313 N. Figueroa Street, #212
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Phone: (213) 240-7941
Fax: (213) 482-4856
Email:acdc2@ph.lacounty.gov
Have questions about things like where to go for vaccinations or
other health care
services?
Call 2-1-1.
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Acute Communicable Disease Control
(Back
to Hepatitis A Main Page)
About Hepatitis A Hepatitis A virus (HAV), is a highly
contagious virus of the liver. Hepatitis A is vaccine-preventable; two doses of vaccine administered six
months apart is the best protection against this
disease.
How does hepatitis A
spread?
Hepatitis A spreads easily from person-to-person fecal-orally,
which means that small amounts of feces (poop)
contaminate things that can then get into another
person's mouth. This can happen when:
Touching objects or eating food that someone with a hepatitis A
infection handled
Having sex with someone who has a hepatitis A infection
Sharing needles, pipes, or other items to take drugs.
People who are infected with hepatitis A can spread
infection for two weeks before they have symptoms, and
some people may not have any symptoms of infection.
After they get sick, patients can generally spread the
virus for about a week. In rare cases, especially among
people with weak immune systems, infections can last
longer. After patients fully recover, they can never get
the infection again.
How is hepatitis A
treated?
There is no treatment for hepatitis A other than rest,
good nutrition, and fluids. Patients who are severely
ill will need hospitalization and medical monitoring
and, in very rare cases, a liver transplant. Patients
who are over 50 years of age and those with other
medical conditions or weak immune systems are at
greatest risk for severe illness.
How can you prevent
hepatitis A?
The best prevention for hepatitis A is vaccination. Two
doses of the vaccine are needed, given six months apart.
Other ways to prevent spread include:
Not having sex with someone who has a hepatitis A infection
Using your own towels, toothbrushes, and eating utensils
Not sharing food, drinks, or smokes with other people
Washing your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and
before preparing, serving, or eating food
What are the symptoms of
hepatitis A?
While not everyone infected with hepatitis A will
develop symptoms, some common indicators of infection
include:
Fever
Weakness, fatigue
Nausea
Loss of appetite
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
Stomach pain
Vomiting
Dark urine, pale stools, and diarrhea
News and Updates
Press Release: Public Health Alerts Residents of Lancaster of Possible Exposure to Hepatitis A at Panda Express
(8-12-23)
Press
Release:
Hepatitis A Case Linked to Recalled Frozen Strawberries Sold in Los Angeles County
(4-14-23)
An ongoing outbreak of
hepatitis A is currently occurring in homeless and/or those that
use illicit drugs in Los Angeles County as well as in
San Diego
and
Santa Cruz Counties.
More information about these outbreaks is available
here.
In addition, there are an increased number of cases of HAV occurring
among men who have sex with men in Los Angeles County and elsewhere.
HEALTH ALERT
Public Health has made reasonable efforts to provide accurate translation. However, no computerized translation is perfect and is not intended to replace traditional translation methods. If questions arise concerning the accuracy of the information, please refer to the English edition of the website, which is the official version.