26/12/2022 / Digestive Disease & Gastroenterology
We should have awareness about Hepatitis A so that we could prevent it.
Hepatitis A is defined as inflammation of the liver which can cause mild to severe illness.
Ingestion of contaminated food and water and direct contact with an infected person are the main sources of transmission of the Hepatitis A virus. Poor sanitation and lack of safe water increase the risk of Hepatitis A infection.
The causes of hepatitis A are:
Stools and blood of infected people
Contaminated food and drink: Hepatitis A is transmitted when an uninfected person consumes food or water contaminated with the faeces of an infected person. This may happen when an infected person prepares food with dirty hands for family members. In this way, family members are at risk of getting Hepatitis A infection.
Drug abuse
Anal sex: A study has concluded that the Acute Hepatitis A outbreak in Poland (2017) affected men who had sex with men. This was related to oral–anal sexual contact and many patients were not vaccinated.
Occupational: There is an increased risk of hepatitis A virus infection among occupational workers. It depends on contact with infected faecal matter and low natural immunity rates. This category includes daycare providers, hospital workers, nurses, sewage workers and food handlers.
Travellers: Those who visit rural areas and eat or drink frequently in poor sanitation conditions are at risk of Hepatitis A infection. However, those who visit urban areas, wash their hands and choose food carefully are also at risk of getting Hepatitis A infection when visiting countries where hepatitis A is common.
You should know these risk factors of Hepatitis A so that you are more aware of the disease and take possible preventive measures to prevent it. These are:
Poor sanitation: It is important to maintain good hygiene to prevent Hepatitis A.
Lack of safe water
Sexual contact with Hepatitis A infected person
Drug abuse
Sex between men
Travelling to endemic areas.
Non-vaccinated individuals: It is important to get vaccinated for hepatitis. Those who are not vaccinated are at risk of Hepatitis A infection.
The symptoms of Hepatitis A are given below:
Fever
Headache
Malaise
Loss of appetite
Jaundice
Dark coloured urine
Nausea
Vomiting
Stomach pain
Joint pain
Clay-coloured stool
Fatigue
Diarrhoea
The incubation period is 14-28 days. Hepatitis symptoms start 2 to 7 weeks after exposure, but you recover within a few days or it may take a few months. Hepatitis A does not become chronic, and a person can recover completely; antibodies provide lifelong immunity. However, sometimes Hepatitis A may relapse, but this is followed by recovery.
The virus can survive outside the body, also.
Heating food and liquid at 85 degrees Celsius for 1 minute could kill the virus, but freezing cannot.
There is a very small proportion of people infected with hepatitis A who are at risk of dying as a result of fulminant hepatitis.
Have you ever imagined there could be a link between strawberries and Hepatitis diagnosis?
Add to your knowledge strawberries from FreshKampo Brand caused Hepatitis A outbreak.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency investigated whether the Hepatitis A outbreak occurred after consuming fresh organic strawberries under the brand name Freshkampo.
In this CDC remarked to the people that those who have taken organic strawberries of FreshKampo brand between March 5 to April 15, 2022, and then frozen them to eat later.
CDC told people that if they have frozen organic strawberries, they should not eat them. They should throw frozen organic strawberries away even if they do not know the brand name. Anyone who ate these strawberries was advised to consult their healthcare provider within 14 days. If they are not vaccinated for Hepatitis A, then they should get the post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) vaccine.
The diagnosis of hepatitis A is made by:
Patient history
Symptoms
Blood test
Hepatitis A vaccination:
Some of the key points of Hepatitis A vaccination are:
Two-dose series.
Licensed in the US for one year of age or older.
Immunoglobulin within two weeks provides maximum protection.
It can be administered with other vaccines.
Do not delay doses
Protection lasts for ten years
Vaccination age group:
Children: 12-23 months
Pregnant women
Unvaccinated of age 2-18 years
Licensed vaccines are:
1. Single antigen:
HAVRIX by Glaxosmithkline
VAQTA by Merck and Co.Inc
2. Combination vaccine
TWINRIX by Glaxosmithkline
Combined Hepatitis A and B vaccination
Hepatitis A prophylaxis:
GamaSTAN TM S/D by Grifols Therapeutics approved US FDA.
If PEP vaccination is done within 14 days of exposure, then it can prevent Hepatitis A illness.
There is no treatment for hepatitis A so it would be best for you to prevent it first, and if you are diagnosed, you should get a Hepatitis A vaccination and immune globulin.
The main goal of treatment for Hepatitis A is:
To take adequate rest
To take healthy food
Replacement of fluid lost due to diarrhoea and vomiting.
WHO is working towards global hepatitis goals under the Sustainable Development Agenda 2030.
The goal is to:
Increase hepatitis awareness
Formulation of evidence-based policy and data for action.
Increase health equities within the hepatitis response
To prevent transmission
Increase screening
Scale up care and treatment
Some of the important points in hepatitis awareness are:
Routine check-up
Stay hydrated
Drink purified water
Clean washroom
Doctor consultation before taking over-the-counter medications
No alcohol
Wash hands before eating
Compulsory vaccination
No sharing of personal items like razors and toothbrushes
Hand washing is important to prevent Hepatitis A: Do you know this?
Wash your hands thoroughly to reduce the chances of getting and spreading Hepatitis A infection.
It is important to wash hands for 15 to 30 seconds.
You must wash your hands after using the toilet, changing diapers, and before eating food. It is always important to wash your hands before you start preparing food.
If you are suffering from hepatitis A, then you should eat a balanced and healthy diet. You must avoid alcohol because it causes damage to the liver.
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/hepatitis-a
Occupational risk for hepatitis A: a literature-based analysis
As mentioned by WHO, a safe and effective vaccine is available to prevent hepatitis A.
Poor sanitation, poor hygiene and lack of safe water are the main causes of Hepatitis A.
Yes, it is possible to recover fully from Hepatitis A with lifelong immunity.
The best way to prevent hepatitis A is to get vaccinated.
No, there is no specific treatment.
Wash hands before meals and after going to the washroom are important hygiene practices to prevent hepatitis A.
Yes, it can survive outside the body.
Yes. As the United States recommends, adequate water chlorination kills the Hepatitis A virus.
Comments ( 0 )
No Comments
Leave a Comment
Related Posts
AIDS in Children
AIDS in children is not getting the limelight it deserves but here we are to break the silence and voice of millions of HIV-infected children!
Monkeypox vs Chickenpox: Addressing a new concern in public health
Monkeypox vs chicken pox is the most important diagnostic key for clinicians to tackle monkeypox as an emerging burden on public health. The two similar conditions should be differentiated to fight the emerging health crisis.
Dr Aditi Yadav
Smallpox vs Monkeypox: A list of must-know differences
The article explains Smallpox vs Monkeypox to identify the clinical situation. Today monkeypox is becoming a global health burden, and its similarities with smallpox make it challenging to diagnose.
Dr Aditi Yadav
H1N1 Swine Flu: Your complete guide to Unlock Everything You Really Need To Know!
Before 2009, we had never heard of Swine flu, which came as a pandemic. When the virus is new, it causes pandemics, something we never heard of and was never prepared for.
Dr Aditi Yadav
Health & Wellness Tips
Subscribe to our blog