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- Services and providers for Hepatitis A in the U.S.
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National Institutes of Health
- The primary NIH organization for research on Hepatitis A is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Hepatitis A
Also called: HAV
Hepatitis A is one type of hepatitis - a liver disease - caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The disease is spread primarily through food or water contaminated by stool from an infected person. You can get HAV from
- Eating food prepared by someone with HAV who did not wash their hands after using the bathroom
- Having anal/oral sex with someone with HAV
- Not washing your hands after changing a diaper
- Drinking contaminated water
HAV can cause swelling of the liver, but it rarely causes lasting damage. You may feel as if you have the flu, or you may have no symptoms at all. It usually gets better on its own after several weeks.
The hepatitis A vaccine can prevent HAV. Healthy habits also make a difference. Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food, after using the toilet or after changing a diaper. International travelers should be careful about drinking tap water.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Start Here
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Hepatitis A(American Academy of Family Physicians)
Also available in Spanish
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JAMA Patient Page: Hepatitis A Virus(American Medical Association)
Also available in Spanish
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What I Need to Know about Hepatitis A
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
Also available in Spanish
| Basics | Learn More | Multimedia & Cool Tools |
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| Research | Reference Shelf | For You |
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Overviews
- Hepatitis A(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
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Hepatitis A(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)
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Viral Hepatitis: A through E and Beyond(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Diagnosis/Symptoms
- Hepatitis A: The Test(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Liver Panel(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
- Viral Hepatitis(American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
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Prevention/Screening
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Hepatitis A Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF
Also available in Spanish
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Vaccinations for Hepatitis A and B(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases)
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Hepatitis A Vaccine(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - Links to PDF
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Related Issues
- Frequently Asked Questions about Hepatitis A(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
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Clinical Trials
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hepatitis A(National Institutes of Health)
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Hepatitis A
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Journal Articles
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Update on infectious disease prevention: human papillomavirus, hepatitis A.
- Article: Hepatitis A vaccines.
- Article: Excellent response rate to a double dose of the combined...
- Hepatitis A -- see more articles
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Organizations
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Also available in Spanish
- Hepatitis Foundation International
- Immunization Action Coalition
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Law and Policy
- Hepatitis A Prevention Mandates(Immunization Action Coalition)
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Statistics
- FASTATS: Viral Hepatitis(National Center for Health Statistics)
- Children Return to top
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Men
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Protect Yourself against Hepatitis A and B: A Guide for Gay and Bisexual Men(Immunization Action Coalition)
Also available in Spanish
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Protect Yourself against Hepatitis A and B: A Guide for Gay and Bisexual Men(Immunization Action Coalition)
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Date last updated: 19 August 2008 Topic last reviewed: 19 July 2008 |