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Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is one type of hepatitis - a liver disease - caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The disease is spread primarily through food or water contaminated by stool from an infected person. You can get HAV from
- Eating food prepared by someone with HAV who did not wash their hands after using the bathroom
- Having anal/oral sex with someone with HAV
- Not washing your hands after changing a diaper
- Drinking contaminated water
HAV can cause swelling of the liver, but it rarely causes lasting damage. You may feel as if you have the flu, or you may have no symptoms at all. It usually gets better on its own after several weeks.
The hepatitis A vaccine can prevent HAV. Healthy habits also make a difference. Wash your hands thoroughly before preparing food, after using the toilet or after changing a diaper. International travelers should be careful about drinking tap water.
What is Hepatitis A ?
Hepatitis A is one of many hepatitis viruses causing inflammation of the liver.
Who Is At Risk?
Hepatitis A can affect anyone. In the U. S., hepatitis A can occur in situations ranging from isolated cases of disease to widespread epidemics. Hepatitis A is one of the most frequently reported vaccine-preventable diseases in the U. S. Some of the higher-risk groups are: travelers to countries with high rates of hepatitis A, men who have sex with men, injecting-drug users, people with clotting-factor disorders, people with chronic liver disease, and children living in communities with high rates of disease.
Symptoms
Children with hepatitis A usually have no symptoms. Adults may become quite ill suddenly, experiencing jaundice, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine/light stools, and fever. The incubation period averages 30 days. However, an infected individual can transmit the virus to others as early as two weeks before symptoms appear. Symptoms will disappear over a 6 -12-month period until complete recovery occurs.
Diagnosis
Your doctor can't single out Hepatitis A from other types of viral hepatitis based upon your physical symptoms alone. The only way to diagnose HAV is to do a blood test seeking to find IgM antibodies. In most people, these antibodies become detectable 5-10 days before the onset of symptoms and can persist for up to 6 months after infection.
How Does it Spread?
Hepatitis A is most often spread from person to person through situations such as these:
- Food preparers who are infected can pass the virus on if they do not wash their hands with soap and water after having a bowel movement, especially when they prepare uncooked foods.
- Fecal contamination of food and water.
- Anal/oral contact, by putting something in the mouth that had been contaminated with infected feces.
- Diaper changing tables, if not cleaned properly or changed after each use, may facilitate the spread of HAV.
- Fecal residue may remain on the hands of people changing soiled diapers.
- Eating raw or partially cooked shellfish contaminated with HAV.
Treatment
No specific treatment is necessary for hepatitis A. Disease
Outcome
Hepatitis A will clear up on its own in a few weeks or months with no serious after effects. Once recovered, an individual is then immune for life to HAV through the presence of the IgG antibody . About 1 in 100 HAV sufferers may experience a sudden and severe (i.e., "fulminant") infection.
Preventing HAV
Infection HAV infection is preventable! Here's how you do it:
- Get an immune globulin (IG) shot. An IG shot can provide temporary immunity to the virus for 2 to 3 months when given prior to exposure to HAV or within 2 weeks after exposure.
- Ask for the HAV vaccine. The HAV vaccine, made from inactive hepatitis A virus (synthetic), is highly effective in preventing the hepatitis A infection. However, its safety when given during pregnancy has not been determined. Check with your doctor to determine how many shots you need. The vaccine provides protection for about four weeks after the first injection; a second injection protects you longer, possibly up to 20 years.
Who should have the HAV vaccine?
- Users of illegal drugs.
- Individuals who have chronic liver disease or blood clotting disorders (e.g., hemophilia).
- Those who have close physical contact with people who live in areas with poor sanitary conditions.
- Those who travel or work in developing countries. This includes all countries except northern and western Europe, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and North America except Mexico.
- Men who have sex with other men.
- Children in populations that have repeated epidemics of hepatitis A (e.g., Alaska natives, American Indians, and certain closed religious communities).
- People who have chronic lever disease.
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