Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious virus that causes a liver infection

The symptoms of hepatitis A differ from person to person.  Many people, especially children, show no symptoms or very mild symptoms.  For people who do get sick, the symptoms include fever, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, diarrhea, and yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice).  It takes on average 28 days to become sick after coming in contact with the hepatitis A virus, ranging from 15-50 days.  In mild cases symptoms may only last 1-2 weeks and in more severe cases symptoms can last several months.

The hepatitis A virus is present in the feces (stools) of infected people. The infectious (contagious) period is in the latter half of the incubation period and a few days after the onset of jaundice (yellowing of the skin). Most cases are not infectious after the first week of jaundice.

Hepatitis A can be spread by:

• A person who has hepatitis A and has not washed their hands well after using the toilet
• Eating food contaminated by someone who has the virus
• Eating raw or uncooked shellfish that came from contaminated waters
   

After someone has been diagnosed with hepatitis A, household and other contacts should be given hepatitis A vaccine to prevent them from getting sick. Infants under age 1 and certain other persons are given immune globulin instead of the hepatitis A vaccine . For all contacts, hepatitis A vaccine or immune globulin will be provided free.

Persons travelling to developing countries may be at risk because these countries tend to have poor sanitation and personal hygiene.  Travellers to these countries should consider getting vaccinated against the disease to avoid becoming infected and bringing the disease home with them.  The hepatitis A vaccine is not part of the routine vaccination schedule but can be purchased at a drug store or travel clinic.

Children and adults with hepatitis A should be excluded for 1 week after the onset of the illness.