HealthyCanada.com

Overview

Hepatitis A is a potentially serious disease caused by a virus which attacks the liver. It affects about 4000 Canadians every year some here at home and others while traveling abroad. There is no treatment available for Hepatitis A. There is however a vaccine which offers full protection.

The hepatitis A virus is transmitted by the fecal-oral route (by not washing your hands properly after having a bowel movement) through close person-to-person contact or by ingesting contaminated food or water. Infection has been shown to be spread by:

• close personal contact with someone infected with hepatitis A
• eating foods contaminated by infected food handlers
• contact with infected children (who do not usually show symptoms) who can then infect non-immune children or adults at home or in child-care centers
• eating raw or undercooked shellfish (e.g. oysters clams mussels) from waters contaminated with the hepatitis A virus
• eating contaminated food or water during travel to underdeveloped areas
• transmission through blood transfusions or sharing needles with infected people using injectable drugs.

The incubation period for hepatitis A ranges from 20 to 50 days. This means that infectious people such as food handlers or children can spread the disease well before they are even aware they have it.

These symptoms can last for several weeks and in some cases hospitalization may be required:

• fatigue
• nausea
• vomiting
• fever/chills
• jaundice
• pain in the liver area
• dark urine
• light-colored stools
• abdominal pain

Adults develop more severe symptoms while young children may not show any outward signs of infection apart from feeling "unwell." This means that parents and child-care workers handling soiled diapers can catch or transmit the disease without knowing they have been exposed. Death is rare but may occur in up to three per cent of older people usually with acute liver failure.

There is currently no treatment available although rest and proper nutrition can relieve some symptoms. Antibiotics are ineffective against hepatitis A. Like many viral infections hepatitis A will eventually run its course and once you've had the virus you develop a lifelong immunity to it.

Hepatitis A can be prevented by vaccination. For more information on how to protect you and your family against hepatitis A contact your family physician or a local travel clinic. But remember you don't have to travel to get hepatitis A. Sometimes there are outbreaks of the virus here in Canada - through food handlers in cafeterias and restaurants for example. Careful hand washing is one of the best preventive measures against hepatitis A.

Canadian Liver Foundation

Canadian Immunization Guide

Travel Clinics