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| HEPATITIS A |
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About the Disease
Hepatitis A (HAV), a highly contagious infection of the liver, is the most common type of hepatitis reported in the United States. It infects at least 134,000 people in the U.S. annually; there were 62 cases in the state of Mississippi in 2002.
HAV is spread by fecal-oral contact – by putting something in the mouth that may look clean, but is in fact contaminated by the stool of a person carrying the virus. It is also spread by ingestion of contaminated food or water, or ingestion of fruits and vegetables that may have been grown or washed in contaminated water.
More than 70 percent of older children and adults develop symptoms of clinical hepatitis-which include flu-like symptoms with chills and high fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Young children with HAV are often asymptomatic.
Up to 22 percent of HAV patients require hospitalization. It is rare for persons to die from HAV, with only approximately 100 deaths each year in the U.S | | |
| AT A GLANCE |
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What it is: Hepatitis A (HAV) is a virus that affects the liver. |
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Transmission: HAV is spread person to person by fecal-oral contact or may be related to the ingestion of contaminated food or water. Common scenarios include person to person transmission within a household, or the ingestion of contaminated drinking water or ice, uncooked fruits or vegetables grown or washed in contaminated water, or raw shellfish such as oysters, clams and mussels. HAV may also be passed by infected food handlers, blood transfusions, or sharing contaminated needles and syringes. |
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Symptoms: Symptoms may include but are not limited to fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, abdominal pain and appetite loss. Other symptoms include jaundice (a yellowing of the skin and eyes) and dark urine. |
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High risk groups: Children in daycare centers, men who have sex with men, people who travel to Hepatitis A endemic regions of the world. Endemic regions include Mexico, parts of the Caribbean, South America, Central America, Africa, Asia (except Japan), the Mediterranean basin, Eastern Europe and the Middle East. |
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Prevention: Hepatitis A vaccination is the best prevention, especially if you are going to an HAV endemic region. Immune globulin may also be given both before and up to two weeks after contact with the virus. Immune globulin (IG) is usually given to household contacts of patients with HAV, and can provide protection for up to three months. |
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Where you can be tested: If you think you may have HAV, contact your health care professional for counseling and testing, or check with one of our local health offices. |
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Travelers: The vaccine is available at travel clinics for a fee. |
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Prevention: The MDH will provide IG to persons who have been identified as close contacts to a person with HAV. | |
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| CASES |
Hepatitis A Cases By Year
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| CONTACT |
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Get in Touch
To find out more, contact your local health office, or call our Health Info Hotline at 1-866-HLTHY4U (1-866-458-4948)
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