Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infected that is usually spread through poor standards of sanitation or food hygiene.
It is one of several types of hepatitis viruses that cause inflammation and affect the liver’s ability to function.
There are several ways people can contract the infection, which include eating food prepared by somebody carrying the bug, who hasn’t washed their hands.
It can also be caught by drinking contaminated water, eating raw or undercooked shellfish or coming into close contact with an infected person.
Symptoms can include fatigue, muscle pain, fever, sudden nausea and vomiting, pain in the tummy and a yellowing of the skin.
Mild cases of hepatitis A do not require treatment and only require rest and practicing good hygiene. Most people recover completely with no permanent liver damage
However, the infection can sometimes result in a severe illness that lasts several months and in rare cases acute liver failure which can be fatal.
There is a vaccine against hepatitis A but isn’t widely administered in the UK unless the person is at risk of contracting the infection.
Source: NHS