Hepatitis is transmitted differently depending on the type of hepatitis virus involved: Hepatitis A (HAV):
- Transmitted primarily through the fecal-oral route. This occurs when a person ingests food or water contaminated with feces from an infected person.
- Close personal contact, such as sexual contact or household contact with an infected person, can also spread the virus.
- Contaminated food (e.g., raw shellfish from polluted water) and poor sanitation are common sources.
- The virus can also spread by touching contaminated surfaces and then placing hands near or in the mouth
Hepatitis B (HBV):
- Spread through exposure to infected blood, semen, and other bodily fluids.
- Transmission occurs via unprotected sexual contact, sharing needles or other injection equipment, and from mother to baby at birth.
- It can also spread through contaminated medical or dental equipment, tattooing, piercing, and sharing personal items like razors or toothbrushes.
- Casual contact such as hugging, coughing, or sharing food does not spread HBV
Hepatitis C (HCV):
- Mainly transmitted through direct blood-to-blood contact.
- Common routes include sharing needles or injection equipment, contaminated medical instruments, tattooing with unsterile equipment, and from mother to infant during birth.
- Sexual transmission is possible but less common.
- There is no vaccine for hepatitis C
In summary, hepatitis A spreads mostly through contaminated food, water, and close personal contact involving fecal contamination, while hepatitis B and C are primarily transmitted through blood and bodily fluids via sexual contact, needle sharing, and perinatal transmission. Vaccines are available for hepatitis A and B but not for hepatitis C
