--- title: "Food-borne hepatitis: Hepatitis A and E" date: 2006-06-27T16:44:28-07:00 author: Bill Marler canonical_url: "https://marlerclark.com/news_events/foodborne-hepatitis-hepatitis-a-and-e" section: News --- [All News](/news_events) / # Food-borne hepatitis: Hepatitis A and E June 27, 2006 HAV and HEV are both forms of food-borne hepatitis. These forms of hepatitis are spread by the fecal-oral route, usually through contaminated food, water, or shellfish, or through oral-anal sexual practices. Most cases of HAV are subclinical. Symptomatic patients may experience low-grade fever, fatigue, nausea, anorexia, myalgia, and malaise, followed by dark urine, light stools, and right upper quadrant discomfort. Liver function tests are elevated, and the patient may develop jaundice and hepatomegaly. Fortunately, HAV does not lead to a chronic infection or a carrier state and is rarely fatal. Most patients recover uneventfully after a period of rest; however, up to 5% of patients develop a protracted cholestatic hepatitis characterized by an elevated alkaline phosphatase and jaundice. Prevention measures for HAV include washing hands before eating or preparing food, after using the bathroom, and after changing a diaper or cleaning surfaces contaminated with feces, such as a diaper-changing table. Avoiding eating raw uncooked shellfish is another personal health measure than can help prevent transmission of HAV. Individuals who are exposed to HAV and who have not received HAV vaccine should receive prophylactic doses of immune globulin, which provides passive immunity for 2 to 3 months. Hepatitis E (HEV) is an enterically transmitted form of hepatitis that is transmitted by oral-fecal contact or contaminated food and water and is most prevalent in regions with poor sanitation systems. Most cases of HEV are traced to fecally contaminated water. This form of hepatitis is rare in the United States and tends to be seen in travelers returning from areas in developing countries where there are epidemics or outbreaks of HEV. The symptoms of HEV are similar to those of HAV. HEV does not produce chronic infection or a carrier state; however, liver failure can occur in pregnant women who contract this form of hepatitis. 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2002](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2002) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2003](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2003) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2004](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2004) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2005](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2005) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2006](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2006) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2007](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2007) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2008](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2008) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2009](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2009) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2010](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2010) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2011](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2011) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2012](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2012) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2013](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2013) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2014](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2014) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2015](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2015) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2016](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2016) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2017](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2017) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2018](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2018) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2019](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2019) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2020](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2020) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2021](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2021) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2022](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2022) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2023](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2023) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2024](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2024) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2025](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2025) [Foodborne Illness Lawsuits in 2026](https://marlerclark.com/news_events/case-news?illness=all&year=2026) ##### Get Help #### Affected by an outbreak or recall? 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