What is the infectious agent that causes hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A infection is caused by the hepatitis A virus. Hepatitis A virus is passed in the stool of infected persons. Unlike many other viruses, it can survive for a long time at room temperature in food and on surfaces and objects. The virus is not affected by cold or by freezing, but it is inactivated by heating foods to >185o F (85o C) for one minute. Adequate chlorination of water also kills the hepatitis A virus. Where is hepatitis A found? Hepatitis A infection occurs worldwide. The disease is common in Africa, Asia (except Japan), parts of the Caribbean, Central and South America, Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, and the Middle East. In the United States, hepatitis A occurs in isolated cases, in outbreaks, and in widespread epidemics. How do people get hepatitis A infection? Hepatitis A virus is usually spread from person to person. People get hepatitis A infection by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the stool of an infected person. For th
