Which viral condition is spread through contaminated food and water?

Which viral condition is spread through contaminated food and water?

• A. Hepatitis A
• B. Hepatitis B
• C. Norovirus
• D. HIV

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is how certain viruses spread through the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A virus is classically transmitted this way—people ingest virus-contaminated food or water (often in settings with poor sanitation), leading to acute hepatitis. This mode of spread is a hallmark of HAV infection and is the reason it’s emphasized as a food- and waterborne viral illness. Hepatitis B, by contrast, is spread mainly through blood and body fluids, not through contaminated food or water. Norovirus can also be transmitted via contaminated food and water and is a common cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks, though it’s not the hepatitis pathogen. HIV is primarily transmitted through blood, sexual contact, or from mother to child.

The main idea here is how certain viruses spread through the fecal-oral route via contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A virus is classically transmitted this way—people ingest virus-contaminated food or water (often in settings with poor sanitation), leading to acute hepatitis. This mode of spread is a hallmark of HAV infection and is the reason it’s emphasized as a food- and waterborne viral illness.

Hepatitis B, by contrast, is spread mainly through blood and body fluids, not through contaminated food or water. Norovirus can also be transmitted via contaminated food and water and is a common cause of gastroenteritis outbreaks, though it’s not the hepatitis pathogen. HIV is primarily transmitted through blood, sexual contact, or from mother to child.