Hepatitis A is primarily spread by the fecal-oral route, through person-to-person contact or through contaminated food or water. That means that getting hepatitis A can happen by forgetting to wash your hands after changing an infected baby’s diaper or by going to the bathroom and then touching your hand to your mouth. If the fecal contaminant somehow gets on food – for example, if a contaminated cook handles food in a restaurant – the disease can spread quickly. A person can also get hepatitis A by drinking water that is contaminated with the virus or by eating food grown or washed in contaminated water, such as raw or undercooked shellfish, salads, or unpeeled fruits.