Hepatitis A
hepatitis; A; jaundice; immunisation; immunise; infection; vaccine; vaccination;
Contents
Hepatitis A is a virus that affects the liver. It is a very common infection which occurs in every country in the world. It is a very different disease to hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
Hepatitis A is something to be avoided. It can make you feel sick for several weeks but people do fully recover from the infection. Most adults and adolescents become jaundiced while they are unwell – the skin and the whites of their eyes go a yellowish colour.
How is hepatitis A passed on?
- The hepatitis A virus is passed out of infected people in their poo.
- The usual way hepatitis A is spread is from one person to another person. Washing hands after using the toilet, before handling food and before eating is very important to prevent the spread of hepatitis A.
- Hepatitis A is also spread through food or water that has the virus in it (for example when the water supply has got sewerage in it).
- People are most contagious (ie when they can spread the disease) in the 2 weeks before they get the jaundice (while they are becoming unwell), and during the first week after they become jaundiced. Most people are no longer contagious one week after they get the jaundice
Who gets hepatitis A?
- In countries where there are not clean water supplies and good sanitation (sewerage systems), most people get hepatitis A when they are children. In such cases it is usually a mild illness, or they may not become ill at all. After this infection they are immune to the disease.
- In developed countries, such as Australia, where there is less hepatitis A around, and the water supply is clean, most children do not get hepatitis A, and therefore most adults are not immune to it.
- In developed countries there are some people who are more likely to get hepatitis A than others. These include:
- Child care and health care workers
- Plumbers
- Injecting drug users
- Children and workers in remote areas, especially in north Queensland
- People who live in an area that has been flooded (because sewerage can get into the water supply during a flood)
- Men who have sex with men
Effects
Most (over 90%) young children under about 6 years and about 25% of older children and adults do not get sick with hepatitis A.
People who get sick might:
- lose their appetite
- feel sick and sometimes vomit
- have abdominal (tummy) pain
- lack energy
- develop jaundice (go yellowish on the skin and in the whites of the eyes) after a week or so of feeling unwell
- have dark urine (wee) and pale faeces (poo).
Most people get better after about 4 weeks, but people can feel unwell for a couple of months. A few people have a couple of episodes of illness before they recover, but people recover fully from hepatitis A and the infection does not cause ongoing damage to the liver, in contrast to hepatitis B or hepatitis C. Once people have had the infection and recovered, they are immune to it, and will not have it again.
Prevention
You can get immunised to prevent hepatitis A. Vaccination is recommended for:
- travellers from low risk countries (such as Australia) to high risk countries (mostly developing countries where there is not a safe water supply)
- people who work where they could be exposed to hepatitis A
- including injecting drug users
- men who have sex with men
- groups of people who are special risk, such as people who live in a place which has been flooded, or there is not safe water supply such as in remote communities in Australia.
Ask your health care worker if you are in one of the groups recommended for vaccination. See Resources below on where you can be immunised against Hepatitis A in South Australia.
Make sure that your water supply is safe, especially if you are travelling in countries where there is a lot of hepatitis A.
- Only eat cooked food or food that you peel yourself (raw fruit and vegetables may have been washed in contaminated water).
- Drink only boiled water or water that you know is safe. Soft drinks in unopened cans, or water in sealed bottles will probably be safe (ice in drinks may be unsafe).
Testing
A blood sample is used to test for hepatitis A.
Treatment
- See a doctor to work out what illness you have. Ask about any medicines you are taking, because the infection may alter how effective some of them are.
- There is no special treatment for hepatitis A.
- Rest and have extra to drink.
- People who have hepatitis usually lose their appetite and eat less food for a while. They will pick up quickly when their appetite returns. They may feel best if they have a low fat, healthy and bland diet that is easy for the liver to process.
- Avoid alcohol.
Resources
South Australia
- The Second Story Youth Health Service (TSS)
- Central: 57 Hyde St, Adelaide
- South: 50a Beach Rd, Christies Beach
- North: 6 Gillingham Rd, Elizabeth
- West: 51 Bower St, Woodville
Contact TSS via the Youth Health line on 1300 13 17 19,
or for mobile phone callers (08) 8303 1691, normal rates apply.
- Community health centres in your local phone book.
- Immunisations for Hepatitis A can be provided by your doctor or a travel health centre.
General
- For information about health risks and recommended immunisations when travelling see:
References
South Australian Department of Health, 'Hepatitis A':
http://www.dh.sa.gov.au/pehs/ygw/hepa-pehs-sahealth-2009.pdf
NHMRC. 'The Australian Immunisation Handbook, 9th Ed'. 2008, on the Immunise Australia site:
http://immunise.health.gov.au
Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade:
http://www.dfat.gov.au
World Health Organisation - International Travel and Health:
http://www.who.int/ith
The information on this site should not be used as an alternative to professional care. If you have a particular problem, see a doctor, or ring the Youth Healthline on 1300 13 17 19 (local call cost from anywhere in South Australia).