Hepatitis A Is on the Rise

Format: Web Site
Institute: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Nearly 4,500 cases of hepatitis A were reported in 2005 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. You can get the disease through eating food or drinking water contaminated with the virus or through close personal contact with an infected person. Hepatitis A causes acute infections that are generally resolved without complications. However, an estimated 100 people die from the infection every year in the United States.

New information on foodborne hepatitis A is available on the NIAID Web site, including information on the symptoms and treatment of this disease as well as available vaccines and those in development.

Next Steps
To learn more about foodborne hepatitis A, visit the NIAID Web site at http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/healthscience/healthtopics/HepatitisA/default.htm.