FAQ
Is hepatitis A contagious?
Page last updated 15 April 2020
Yes.Hepatitis A is spread from person to person mainly via the faecal-oral route, which is associated with poor personal hygiene and lack of quality sanitation and water purification systems.
You can be exposed to hepatitis A via:
- Contact with contaminated food or drink, or utensils
- Close personal contact, such as sex, may also spread the virus
Hepatitis A can only infect humans.
Sources & Citations
2. Australian Government, Department of Health. The Australian Immunisation Handbook. Hepatitis A. Available at: https://immunisationhandbook.health.gov.au/vaccine-preventable-diseases/hepatitis-a (accessed 3 March 2020).
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Viral Hepatitis. Hepatitis A Questions and Answers for the Public. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/hav/afaq.htm#overview(accessed 3 March 2020).
5. World Health Organisation. Hepatitis A. Available at https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-a (accessed 3 March 2020).
SPANZ.SAPAS.18.04.0142b - Date of preparation April 2020
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