Immunization Hepatitis


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Hepatitis A
What is hepatitis A?
Hepatitis A is a viral infection that causes inflammation of the liver.

What are the symptoms?
Hepatitis A ranges from a relatively mild disease lasting 1or 2 weeks, to a severe, disabling illness lasting for several weeks or more. The symptoms include abrupt onset of fever, stomach pain, loss of appetite, headache, fatigue, and vomiting. The urine may turn dark golden-brown in color, followed several days later by pale colored stools and yellowish discoloration (jaundice) of the mucus membranes, skin, and whites of the eyes. Infants and young children tend to have milder symptoms and are less likely to develop jaundice than older children and adults.

When do symptoms start?
The symptoms usually begin four weeks after infection with the virus, but the onset can range from two to seven weeks.

How is the virus spread?
Most people get the disease by the fecal-oral route. That means you get it by eating foods contaminated with feces from an infected person. You can also become infected by sexual contact with an infected person. Improper disposal of sewage, overcrowding, and unsanitary conditions promote the spread of the virus. Outbreaks of hepatitis A have been caused by infected food handlers or by eating raw or inadequately cooked shellfish (oysters, clams, etc.) harvested from fecally contaminated waters.

How is hepatitis A treated?
There is no special treatment for people with hepatitis A. However, a shot called immune globulin (IG) can be given to household members, sexual partners, and other close contacts of a person who is contagious for hepatitis A. IG is approximately 90% effective in either preventing of lessening the effects of hepatitis A when given within 14 days of exposure to the virus. IG can also be given to control outbreaks of hepatitis A, especially in institutional setting such as hospitals, daycare facilities, and correctional facilities.

How long is an infected person contagious to others?
The contagious period begins one to two weeks before the symptoms start and lasts seven to ten days following the onset of dark urine or jaundice. If no dark urine or jaundice appears, then a person is still considered contagious for at least two weeks after onset on the first symptoms.

How can hepatitis A be prevented?
The single most effective way to prevent the spread of hepatitis A is careful handwashing after using the toilet. The hepatitis A vaccine is routinely recommended for children at twelve months of age and can be given to adolescents and adults who desire protection against hepatitis A.