Hepatitis A - Diseases and Vaccines - Immunisation

Print this Email this

Immunisation Hepatitis A
	Back to the Diseases and Vaccines page
Virus Hepatitis A is an acute infectious disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus. The time between infection and the appearance of the symptoms is between two and six weeks. How is it spread The virus is usually transmitted by the faecal-oral route, either from person to person contact or through contaminated food or drink. It can be passed on through: Close personal contact – including sexual Poor personal hygiene Sharing personal things with an infected person (toothbrushes, facecloths, towels, etc) Contaminated food – including shellfish, from infected sewage. The most infectious period for hepatitis A is usually from two weeks before jaundice shows until one week after. A blood test will show if someone has hepatitis A infection. Symptoms and illness Early symptoms of hepatitis A infection can be mistaken for influenza, but some sufferers, especially children, exhibit no symptoms at all. After the initial incubation period infection is characterized by an acute febrile illness and jaundice, anorexia, nausea, abdominal discomfort, malaise and dark urine. Severe risks associated with hepatitis A The case fatality rate is 1.8 percent in adults over the age of 50 years. Severe risks associated with the vaccine No serious adverse events among children or adults can be attributed to the vaccine. Back to the Diseases and Vaccines page Website feedback We welcome your feedback on this page. Page last updated: 13 June 2008