History
"Infectious jaundice" that swept through troops in World War II was long confused with hepatitis spread by transfusion. Saul Krugman's work in the 1960s separated an orally spread type (A) from a blood-borne type (B), and in 1973 Stephen Feinstone's team at the US National Institutes of Health first saw the virus in patients' stool by immune electron microscopy. A vaccine arrived in 1995; Korea added it to the national infant schedule in 2015.
Symptoms and spread
The virus is shed in feces and enters the mouth through contaminated water, undercooked shellfish or hands. After about four weeks' incubation come fever, fatigue, vomiting and abdominal pain, then dark urine and jaundice. Children often have no symptoms, but adults can need hospital care. In 2019 contaminated salted clams infected about 17,000 people in Korea. Unlike hepatitis B and C, it never progresses to chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis.
Prevention and treatment
Many Koreans aged 20–40 grew up after sanitation improved and lack antibodies. After an antibody test, two vaccine doses 6–12 months apart give long-lasting protection. There is no specific drug; rest and fluids aid recovery while alcohol and unnecessary medicines are avoided. Hand-washing, cooking shellfish and drinking boiled water are the basics.
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for diagnosis or treatment. If symptoms persist, see a doctor.
FAQ
- Can you get hepatitis A twice?
- No—recovery gives lifelong immunity.
- Who should get the vaccine?
- Adults without antibodies, people with chronic liver disease, travelers to endemic areas and food handlers are priorities.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- World Health Organization. (2024). Hepatitis A (Fact sheet).
- Feinstone, S. M., Kapikian, A. Z., & Purcell, R. H. (1973). Hepatitis A: Detection by immune electron microscopy of a viruslike antigen associated with acute illness. Science, 182(4116), 1026–1028.
- 질병관리청. (2024). A형간염 관리지침.