what is hepatitis a and how do you get it?

Hepatitis A is spread through infected water and food that have been contaminated with fecal material. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as one third of the U.S. population becomes infected with hepatitis A at some point in their life. Symptoms may be flu-like and are frequently not identified as being due to hepatitis. Most patients recover fully within about six months.The hepatitis A caused by HAV is an acute illness (acute viral hepatitis) that never becomes chronic. At one time, hepatitis A was referred to as "infectious hepatitis" because it could be spread from person to person like other viral infections. Infection with hepatitis A virus can be spread through the ingestion of food or water, especially where unsanitary conditions allow water or food to become contaminated by human waste containing hepatitis A (the fecal-oral mode of transmission). Hepatitis A typically is spread among household members and close contacts through the passage of oral secretions (intimate kissing) or stool (poor hand washing). It also is common to have infection spread to customers in restaurants and among children and workers in day care centers if hand washing and sanitary precautions are not observed.