For Hepatitis A, contagiousness occurs before symptoms and continues after symptoms.

• A. True
• B. Not at all contagious
• C. Only during symptomatic period
• D. False

Answer: (A)

Hepatitis A is spread through the fecal-oral route, and the virus is shed in stool before symptoms appear and can continue to be shed after symptoms begin. Because of this shedding pattern, a person can transmit the virus even before they realize they’re sick, and they can still spread it during the early days of illness. In practice, this means contagiousness is not limited to the symptomatic period; it often starts in the pre-symptomatic phase and persists for a while after symptoms develop, which is why infection control emphasizes strict hand hygiene and proper sanitation, and why vaccination and post-exposure prophylaxis are important.