A recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study finds that hepatitis A is more common than previously thought, especially in children.
The research concluded that of the 270,000 Americans they estimate are infected with the virus each year, more than half the infections occur in children under the age of 10.
"Hepatitis A is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver," says Dr. Richard Colgan, medical director of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
It is spread from person to person by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the fecal matter of a person who is infected with hepatitis A. Dr. Colgan says hepatitis A can be easily spread in day care.
Symptoms include jaundice, fatigue, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, nausea, diarrhea and fever. But while symptoms are evident in adults, children usually don't have any symptoms at all. Researchers suspect this is the reason why many cases of hepatitis A go unreported.
The hepatitis A vaccine is the best form of protection in stopping the spread of the virus. The vaccine is often a routine immunization for American children over the age of 2. The immunization involves three shots over a minimum of four months.
Colgan suggests another way to avoid transmission of the infection is to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after changing a baby's diaper and before eating.
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