What is Hepatitis A and what causes it?
Hepatitis A is found throughout the world but it’s common where sanitation is poor, mostly across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and South America.
Hepatitis A infects the liver and affects its function. People catch it by coming into contact with anything contaminated by faecal matter – poo – including food and water. Very rarely, it can be transmitted via blood. It causes several problems including jaundice, where you turn yellow, plus nausea, fatigue and fever. It can last for anything between a few weeks and several months.
There is no cure for Hepatitis A so treatment is usually supportive, which means the medical profession simply treats the symptoms. Most people make a full recovery, but it can be more serious for older people and those with existing liver problems.
Hepatitis A signs and symptoms:
- Flu-like symptoms, general aches and pains
- Tiredness, nausea, sometimes actually being sick
- An aching liver, located in the upper right part of your stomach just below your ribs
- Yellowing skin (jaundice) and eyes, where the whites of your eyes turn yellow. They clear slowly, usually within 3 weeks, even without treatment
- You will feel tired and weak for a few weeks afterwards, sometimes for several months
- It’s very rare to experience serious problems
Vaccination is recommended for people who:
- Travel to or live in parts of the world where the disease is common, especially where hygiene standards are low
- Have any kind of long term liver problem
- Have haemophilia, are homosexual or inject illegal drugs
- Work with sewerage
- Work in a place with low standards of hygiene
- Work with monkeys, apes, baboons, chimps or gorillas
- Have regular close contact with someone who is already infected
How to minimise the risk of catching hepatitis A?
Good personal hygiene helps prevent hepatitis A from spreading. It’s also important to avoid:
- Drinking any water except boiled or bottled water, also avoiding juice drinks mixed with water
- Sharing towels or toothbrushes
- Raw or under-cooked shellfish
- Salads, fruit and vegetables washed in water – if in doubt buy your own, wash them in bottled water and peel them yourself
- Ice cubes
- Cleaning your teeth with unsafe water
- Unpasteurised dairy products
- Food from street traders, food left out at room temperature and food exposed to flies
Vaccination information:
The course consists of one dose and this protects you for one year. If you have another booster after 6 -12 months, you won’t need any further boosters for 25 years thereafter.
