How Do You Get Hepatitis A

What Is The Hepatitis A Vaccine

Hepatitis A

The hepatitis A vaccine is a dose of inactive virus that stimulates your natural immune system. After the hepatitis A vaccine is given, your body makes antibodies that will protect you against the hepatitis A virus.

Vaccination for hepatitis A requires 2 shots, 6 months apart. The vaccine is given with an injection, into the muscle of the upper arm. If for some reason the second injection doesn’t take place at 6 months, you can receive the second dose at a later time.

If you need hepatitis B vaccination in addition to hepatitis A, you can do these individually or as a combined vaccine that covers both. The combination vaccine is given as 3 injections over a 6-month period–an initial dose, followed by a second dose 1 month later, and then a third dose 5 months after the second.

Who Should Get The Hepatitis A Vaccine

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that all children in the U.S. get vaccinated against hepatitis A at age 12 months. However, if an infant aged 6-11 months will be traveling to a country with a significant number of people with hepatitis A, the child should get one dose before leaving the U.S. The child should then get 2 doses separated by 6 to 18 months when the child is between 12 months and 23 months.

You should also get the hepatitis A vaccine if you fall into one of the following groups:

• Men who have sexual contact with other men.
• Users of any type of illegal drugs.
• People with blood clot disorders, such as hemophilia.
• People who have chronic liver disease.
• Homeless people.
• People who will be closely involved with a person being adopted from a country with high rates of hepatitis A infections.

How Do People Get Sick

Hepatitis viruses are spread from person to person through contact with infected feces , either directly or indirectly . People can carry the virus without showing symptoms, then spread it to other people, foods or surfaces.

People can get Hepatitis A after eating contaminated food and beverages. Food and drinks can become contaminated through:

• a contaminated food handler
• hands that were not washed properly after using the washroom
• contamination during harvest, manufacturing and processing

Common food sources of Hepatitis A include:

• contaminated water

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What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Hav Infection

Hepatitis A can be a mild infection, particularly in kids younger than 6, so many people might not ever know that they had an infection.

When symptoms do happen, they typically start 2 to 6 weeks after exposure to the virus and are more likely in adults and kids older than 6. HAV can cause vomiting and diarrhea, as well as fever, loss of appetite, darker than usual urine , jaundice , and abdominal pain.

HAV infections that cause serious symptoms can last for weeks or even months. Some people with HAV can feel ill for up to 6 months.

Causes Of Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is caused by a virus. The virus can survive for several hours outside the body but persists on the hands and in food for even longer. It is resistant to heating and freezing.

The virus is spread when it enters the mouth, which can happen when hands, foods or other items are contaminated with the faeces of a person with hepatitis A. The disease can also be spread sexually by oral or anal contact.

A person with hepatitis A is infectious from 2 weeks before they show symptoms to one week after they become jaundiced .

If an infected person has no jaundice, they may pass on the virus until 2 weeks after they first have symptoms . Caution is advised beyond this period as the virus can be shed in stools for longer periods.

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Reducing The Risk Of Hepatitis A

Protecting yourself from hepatitis A

The most important action you can take to protect yourself against hepatitis A is to get vaccinated.

Practising strict personal hygiene is also essential to reducing the risk of hepatitis A. Steps you can take include:

• Wash your hands with soap and hot running water before handling food, after going to the toilet and after handling used condoms or having contact with nappies or the anal area of another person. Use a clean towel to dry your hands.
• Use barrier protection when engaging in oral-anal sex and avoid sex with someone who is infected with the hepatitis A virus.
• Vaccination may prevent illness if given within 2 weeks of contact with an infectious person.
• Clean bathrooms and toilets often, paying attention to toilet seats, handles, taps and nappy change tables.
• Boil your drinking water if it comes from an untreated source, such as a river.
• If you are travelling overseas, particularly to countries where hepatitis A is widespread, take special care to avoid hepatitis A. Before travelling, talk to your doctor about immunisation for protection.

Protecting others from hepatitis A

If you have hepatitis:

• Wash eating utensils in soapy water, and machine wash linen and towels.

Household contacts and sexual partners of an infectious person may need to be immunised.

All people who have hepatitis A should check with their doctor before returning to work or school.

Protecting yourself from hepatitis A when overseas

If I Have Hepatitis How Can I Avoid Giving It To Someone Else

For hepatitis A, one of the best things you can do is wash your hands a lot. That will keep the virus out of food and drinks.

If you have hepatitis B and C, you need to find ways to keep others from making contact with your blood. Follow these tips:

• Cover your cuts or blisters.
• Carefully throw away used bandages, tissues, tampons, and sanitary napkins.
• Don’t share your razor, nail clippers, or toothbrush.
• If your blood gets on objects, clean them with household bleach and water.
• Don’t breastfeed if your nipples are cracked or bleeding.
• Don’t donate blood, organs, or sperm.
• If you inject drugs, don’t share needles or other equipment.

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How Do You Get Hepatitis A And How Common Is It

Hepatitis A can affect anyone. The virus is passed out in the stools of infected people. In areas of poor sanitation, or where disposal of sewage is poor, hepatitis A can become common due to dirty water and food. This means you may become infected with hepatitis A by eating uncooked food prepared or washed in contaminated water, or by drinking contaminated water. Shellfish caught in contaminated water can also carry the hepatitis A virus. Someone who has hepatitis A infection may pass on the infection to others. This can occur through preparing food, or through close contact with another person, if they have not washed their hands properly after going to the toilet.

The highest-risk areas of the world for hepatitis A infection include: the Indian subcontinent , Africa, parts of the Far East , South and Central America and the Middle East.

Hepatitis A has become uncommon in parts of the world where sanitation is generally good, such as the UK and Western Europe. Most cases of hepatitis A infection in the UK are diagnosed in people returning home after travelling to a country where sanitation is poor and risk of hepatitis A infection is higher. Outbreaks in schools and families can sometimes occur in the UK, as the virus is quite easily passed on from person to person if personal hygiene is not good. For example, the virus may be passed on if infected people do not wash their hands after going to the toilet.

Looking After Yourself When You Have Hepatitis A

AlcoholSome people with acute hepatitis develop an aversion to alcohol in the acute phase. Previously people with this condition were told to avoid alcohol for six months following the illness. This advice is no longer thought necessary.

SmokingSmoking is dangerous to everyones health. Smoking can increase the severity of liver damage. People with liver disease are more vulnerable to infection and to poor health overall, so smoking or exposure to passive smoking is not advisable.

DietIf you have a short-term hepatitis infection, for example hepatitis A, you should try to eat a normal diet. However, some people may need extra nutrition to prevent unplanned weight loss, and may benefit from a high-energy and high-protein diet. A dietitian can advise on this.

If you develop nausea and vomiting, our coping with eating difficulties may help. Read more here.

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When Will Symptoms Appear After You Have Been Exposed To Hav

It generally takes about 4 weeks for symptoms to appear, but they can start at 2 weeks or they can start up to 8 weeks after you have been exposed. You probably wont get every symptom immediately, but they tend to emerge over days.

Also, you can have no symptoms and have the virus and be contagious. Children especially may be free of symptoms despite being infected.

How Is Hepatitis A Diagnosed

Your healthcare provider will listen to your symptoms and will take a blood test to confirm the diagnosis of hepatitis A. If the test finds immunoglobulin M antibodies, you have an acute hepatitis A. If there are antibodies, but not IgM antibodies, you are immune to the virus either because you had a case of it and recovered, or you got the hepatitis A vaccine.

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Complementary And Alternative Medicines And Therapies

Many complementary and alternative medicines available suggest they can ease the symptoms of liver disease. As with any other medicine, you should use them with care before taking any medicine you should check with your doctor that it is safe to do so.

Most medicines are processed by the liver so they can be toxic to people with liver problems. Some can damage the liver and make you more severely ill. At present, healthcare professionals are not clear on the role and place of some complementary medicines in managing liver disease more research is needed on their use.

Licensing has been introduced for some traditional herbal medicines. However, many herbal products are not classified as a medicine and so can be legally sold as food or cosmetic this means there is no regulation of the product and so you cannot be sure how much of the active ingredient you are getting, or how pure it is. Unregulated products are not monitored or assessed for how effective or safe they are. Some remedies can damage the liver and make you more severely ill. It is wise to be cautious about the claims made about herbal remedies, particularly those advertised on the internet.

It is very important to discuss the use of these remedies with your doctor before considering taking them.

What Can Happen If You Have Hepatitis A For A Long Time

People with hepatitis A usually improve withouttreatment and have no lasting liver damage. Symptomsusually last less than 2 months. A few people can beill for as long as 6 months. Hepatitis A can sometimescause liver failure and death. This is usually occurs in:

• People 50 years of age or older
• People with other liver diseases, such as hepatitis B or C

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How Do I Avoid Getting Hepatitis A

Hand hygiene is the gold standard for preventing the spread of hepatitis A. Use soap and water to wash your hands after using the toilet or changing nappies, before and after preparing food and before eating.

A vaccine is available for people at risk of infection, but it is not funded. It is recommended more than one vaccination is needed. For more information please see your family doctor.

Who Should Get The Hepatitis B Vaccine

The CDC recommends it for all babies, who should get their first dose as newborns.

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Other people who need it include:

• People younger than age 19 who haven’t been vaccinated
• Anyone who has a sex partner with hepatitis B

People who are sexually active but arent in a long- term relationship in which both partners are monogamous

• Anyone being evaluated or treated for an STD
• Men who have sex with men
• People who share needles used to inject drugs
• Anyone who lives with someone who has hep B

Anyone whose job routinely puts them at risk for coming in contact with blood or blood- contaminated body fluids

• People with end-stage kidney disease
• People who live and work in facilities for people who are developmentally disabled
• Travelers to regions with moderate to high rates of hepatitis B
• People with chronic liver disease
• People with HIV infections

You should not get the vaccine if you had a severe allergic reaction to an earlier dose or are allergic to yeast, because yeast is used to make the vaccine.

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Do I Need The Hepatitis A And B Vaccines

Hepatitis A and hepatitis B are two types of hepatitis. You get them from a viral infection.

Each of those viruses is different. But the diseases they cause are similar. Hepatitis brings liver inflammation, and it can be serious or even life- threatening.

There are safe and effective vaccines that can prevent hepatitis A and B . There is also a combination vaccine that guards against hep A and B.

How Is Hepatitis A Diagnosed And Managed

A blood test will confirm whether someone is infected with hepatitis A.

There is no medicine to treat hepatitis A. Your doctor may suggest rest, plenty of fluids and relief for any nausea or pain.

To protect your liver, you should not drink any alcohol while you have hepatitis. Your doctor will advise you what medicines you can take.

If you are diagnosed with hepatitis A, your doctor will need to enter details on the Notifiable Diseases database.

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Treatments For Hepatitis A

There’s currently no cure for hepatitis A. But it usually gets better on its own within a couple of months. You can usually look after yourself at home.

While you’re ill, it’s a good idea to:

• get plenty of rest
• take painkillers, such as paracetamol or ibuprofen, for any aches and pains ask your GP for advice about this, as you may need to take lower doses than normal or avoid certain medications until you have recovered
• maintain a cool, well-ventilated environment, wear loose clothing and avoid hot baths or showers to reduce any itching
• eat small, light meals to help reduce nausea and vomiting
• avoid alcohol to reduce the strain on your liver
• stay off work or school and avoid having sex until at least a week after your jaundice or other symptoms started
• practise good hygiene, such as washing your hands with soap and water regularly

Speak to your GP if your symptoms are particularly troublesome or have not started to improve within a couple of months.

They can prescribe medications to help with itchiness, nausea or vomiting, if necessary.

For most people, hepatitis A gets better within 2 months and there are no long-term effects.

Once it passes, you normally develop life-long immunity against the virus.

In around 1 in every 7 people with the infection, the symptoms may come and go for up to 6 months before eventually disappearing.

Life-threatening complications such as liver failure are rare, affecting less than 1 in every 250 people with hepatitis A.

Undercooked And Raw Shellfish

Shellfish are animals that filter the water from their surroundings. Because of this, they can become contaminated with hepatitis A virus if they are grown in polluted waters. To be safe, cook shellfish thoroughly before eating it. Undercooked shellfish like oysters, mussels, and clams may harbor and transmit hepatitis A. You may prefer the taste of raw oysters, but cooked shellfish really is safer. Protect your health and skip the raw oyster bar.

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Vaccination Against Hepatitis A

Vaccination against hepatitis A is not routinely offered in the UK because the risk of infection is low for most people.

It’s only recommended for people at an increased risk, including:

• close contacts of someone with hepatitis A
• people planning to travel to or live in parts of the world where hepatitis A is widespread, particularly if sanitation and food hygiene are expected to be poor
• people with any type of long-term liver disease
• men who have sex with other men
• people who inject illegal drugs
• people who may be exposed to hepatitis A through their job this includes sewage workers, people who work for organisations where personal hygiene may be poor, such as a homeless shelter, and people working with monkeys, apes and gorillas

The hepatitis A vaccine is usually available for free on the NHS for anyone who needs it.

How Is The Virus Spread

Hepatitis A virus is usually spread from person to person by putting something in the mouth that has been contaminated with the stool of a person with hepatitis A. This type of transmission is called the “fecal-oral” route. For this reason, the virus is more easily spread in areas where there are poor sanitary conditions or where good personal hygiene is not observed.

Most infections in the United States result from contact with a household member or sex partner who has hepatitis A.Hepatitis A virus may also be spread by consuming food or drink that has been handled by an infected person. Waterborne outbreaks are infrequent and are usually associated with sewage-contaminated or inadequately treated water. Casual contact, as in the office, factory or school setting, does not spread the virus.

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Persons With Inadequate Immunization Records

Children and adults lacking adequate documentation of immunization should be considered unimmunized and started on an immunization schedule appropriate for their age and risk factors. HA vaccine may be given, if indicated, regardless of possible previous receipt of the vaccine or pre-existing immunity, because adverse events associated with repeated immunization have not been demonstrated.

Refer to Immunization of Persons with Inadequate Immunization Records in Part 3 for additional information about vaccination of people with inadequate immunization records.