Which of the following is a commonly cited source of hepatitis A infection?

• A. Air travel.
• B. Contaminated food and water.
• C. Direct skin contact.
• D. Vector-borne by ticks.

Answer: (B)

Hepatitis A is spread mainly through the fecal-oral route, so the most commonly cited source of infection is contaminated food and water. People can become infected by consuming food or beverages that have been handled or prepared by someone with the virus or by water contaminated with sewage, especially in areas with poor sanitation. Outbreaks are often linked to items like shellfish from polluted waters or produce washed with contaminated water, highlighting why contaminated food and water is the primary source.

The other options don’t fit because simply traveling by air isn’t a source of infection itself; it’s a context that can expose someone to contaminated food or water, but the infection comes from the exposure. Direct skin contact is not a typical transmission route for hepatitis A, since the virus must reach the mouth. And hepatitis A is not vector-borne by ticks; transmission is not through insects.