HEPATITIS A

The hepatitis A virus, is common place in many parts of the world.

How can Someone be Infected with Hepatitis A?

Through drinking contaminated water, or eating contaminated food.
The virus is found in faeces, and can be passed on even a tiny amount of virus comes into contact with a persons mouth.
This means the virus can also be passed on sexually.
Personal hygiene, with careful hand-washing can minimise the risk of the virus being passed on.

Signs and Symptoms

Some people have no symptoms at all, but they may still pass the hepatitis A virus on to others. For those who are symptomatic, these may include:

a mild flu-like illness that does not last for long
nausea and vomiting
diarrhoea
loss of appetite
weight loss
jaundice (yellow skin and whites of the eyes, darker urine and paler faeces)
itchy skin

Some people may be admitted to hospital

Diagnosis and Treatment

Hepatitis A can be diagnosed by a blood test. You will be asked questions to try to discover the source of the infection. If your blood test comes back as positive, it could show that you have had a past infection or a current infection.

A past infection means that you have been in contact with the hepatitis A virus and your body has cleared it. You may now have a natural immunity against future infection with the hepatitis A virus.

Alternatively you may have a current infection. By the time most people have developed the symptoms of hepatitis A, they will be less infectious to others, but in the weeks before the symptoms appeared, there will have been a risk that the infection has been passed on. Your doctor / nurse will ask you questions to find out if others have been at risk of hepatitis A. Those who have been in contact with the virus and may have become infected may be offered an injection to reduce the severity of the symptoms.

Most of the symptoms of hepatitis A settle after a few weeks with no long term damage to the liver. Some people feel more tired than usual for up to a few months after becoming infected with the hepatitis A virus, but this is not common.

A negative test result means that you have never been in contact with hepatitis A and have no natural protection against it. If you are thought to be at risk of hepatitis A you may be advised to be immunised.

Hepatitis A infection is usually mild, but on occasion there may be a sever inflammation of the liver, which requires admission to hospital.

Immunisation

A single injection in the arm will immunise you against hepatitis A infection for up to one year. A second booster injection at 6 to 12 months will give you immunisation for up to 10 years. Most hepatitis A immunisations are given to people who are travelling to parts of the world with a high incidence of hepatitis A.

You can also get immunised to prevent hepatitis A developing if you have recently come into contact with it.

Immunisation is also recommended for those whose sexual practices are likely to put them at risk of contracting hepatitis A.

Follow Up Care

You are advised to limit the amount of alcohol you drink if you have been infected with hepatitis A. You must take precautions to lower the risk of infecting others with the hepatitis A virus.

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