Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A infection is an acute disease of the liver caused by the Hepatitis A virus. It can be traced to untreated water and shellfish taken from polluted waters. Hepatitis A is primarily spread from person to person by the faecal-oral route. The virus is shed in the faeces of an infected person. It may also be spread through food that has been contaminated by infected food handlers or by contaminated water.

Incubation period: The incubation period is 15 to 50 days (average 28 days).

Duration and type of illness: Varies from a relatively mild illness lasting 1 to 2 weeks to a severely disabling illness lasting months. In general, the severity of the disease increases with age.

Symptoms: The most common symptoms are fever, loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue and abdominal pain, followed within a few days by jaundice.

Control: Good personal hygiene, emphasis on good hand-washing habits before preparing and eating food and after using the toilet. Use treated water and only buy shellfish from approved sources.