What causes hepatitis A?

The virus can pass through contaminated food or water, unwashed hands, or close personal contact with someone who is infected. It can also spread when hygiene facilities are poor or when food is handled by a person who has the virus. The infection targets the liver and may lead to nausea, loss of appetite, feeling generally unwell, dark urine, pale stools, or yellowing of the skin and eyes. Symptoms can be mild, and some infected people may not realise they are carrying the virus.

If you shared a home with someone diagnosed with hepatitis A, ate food they prepared, or had another close exposure, contact a healthcare professional promptly. Explain when the contact occurred and whether you have received Hepatitis A Vaccination. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water after using the toilet and before preparing food; hand sanitiser does not replace this step in every situation. Do not prepare food for others while you are unwell until a clinician advises that it is appropriate.

Seek medical advice if you develop nausea, marked tiredness, dark urine, yellow skin or eyes, abdominal discomfort, or a poor appetite after a possible exposure. Get urgent help for confusion, severe pain, repeated vomiting, or difficulty staying hydrated. A clinician can decide whether a Liver Function Test and additional testing are needed; symptoms alone cannot confirm the cause.

Ask what kind of exposure you had, whether vaccination or post-exposure treatment is appropriate, which hygiene precautions to follow, and which symptoms should trigger an urgent call.