14 Risk Factors for Getting Infected with Hepatitis A

2.    Military Personnel

Military personnel deployed in foreign countries such as Afghanistan risk exposure to deplorable living and working conditions. As a result, they may come in contact with the hepatitis A virus through contact with surfaces touched by infected individuals. Should any member of a military company become infected with HAV, they pose a severe threat to the health of the other members.

Since the incubation time for the disease is between one and two weeks, the infected individual may pass on the HAV infection to plenty of other officers during this period. The infectious nature of the disease means that it spreads like wildfire through communities, especially those where infected individuals live in shared housing or eat in shared meal facilities.

Fortunately, the United States Military is well-equipped with medical staff that can swiftly identify and treat the condition, preventing an outbreak from occurring. Military personnel should ensure they keep up to date with their vaccination schedule for all diseases before leaving on international deployment.