Hepatitis A
Introduction
Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It is spread in the poo of an infected person. You can catch hepatitis A by consuming food or drink that contains the virus, or by touching things that have infected poo on them, and then touching your mouth.
Recommendations for Travellers
To protect yourself from hepatitis A when travelling, you need to:
- pay strict attention to your hand hygiene, especially before meals and after using the toilet
- practice safe food and water precautions - foods that have been washed or grown in unclean water e.g. shellfish, berries and salad vegetables, have previously caused outbreaks
- take care with your personal hygiene, particularly during activities that involve close physical contact with a potentially infected person
- consider if you may need to be vaccinated against Hepatitis A before you go
Vaccination
Vaccination against hepatitis A is recommended for:
- people travelling to countries where there is a high risk of hepatitis A circulating in the local population
- people who are at higher risk of infection from their job or lifestyle, or have an increased chance of becoming severely ill with the infection, such as:
- men who have sex with other men
- people who inject illegal drugs
- people with existing medical conditions such as liver disease or haemophilia (clotting disorder)
- pregnant women
- close contacts of someone with hepatitis A
- people who may be exposed to hepatitis A through their job (e.g. healthcare, sewage, laboratory workers)
Check the information on the specific country page you are travelling to. If you need a hepatitis A vaccine, this will be listed in the ‘vaccinations’ section.
- Two doses of a hepatitis A-containing vaccine at least 6 months apart are usually needed to develop long term protection against hepatitis A virus.
At the time of writing, there are several brands of hepatitis A vaccine available in the UK for:
Adults:
Children:
Vaccine brands which protect against both hepatitis A and hepatitis B in the same injection are also available:
- Twinrix Adult
- Twinrix Paediatric
- Ambirix (for children between 1 to 15 years)
Overview of the Disease
Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. The virus is spread in the poo of an infected person.
If infected poo enters water supplies, then people who drink, swim or wash in that water will become infected. People who eat fruit and vegetables washed in the infected water can catch the infection.
If people infected with hepatitis A are unable to wash their hands after going to the toilet, they will transfer the virus to their hands and then on to other objects, surfaces, food or people that they touch. This can spread the infection.
Young children are at increased chance of catching hepatitis A during travel because they are more likely to put potentially contaminated objects and their unclean hands into their mouth.
Hepatitis A occurs worldwide, most often in countries where hygiene and sanitation is poor.
Most cases caught during travel from the UK occur in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan.
The Illness
Not everyone with hepatitis A infection gets symptoms and in those that do, they are usually mild. However, older people and those who have a weakened immune system have a higher chance of developing more serious symptoms.
The most common symptoms include:
- feeling tired and generally unwell
- high temperature (fever)
- loss of appetite, feeling or being sick
- sore or upset tummy, diarrhoea
- itchy rash
- yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
For most people, symptoms usually clear up completely within a few days to weeks without causing any long-term liver damage.
Rarely, some people might go on to develop more serious symptoms which can cause the liver to stop functioning properly (known as liver failure).
People who recover from hepatitis A illness will develop lifelong immunity meaning they cannot catch it again.
Treatment
There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A virus. You must see a doctor if you think you have the infection.
To relieve symptoms, you should try to:
- get plenty of rest
- drink plenty of fluids to keep hydrated
- talk to a pharmacist or GP for over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms such as pain or itching - some medicines that affect the liver might need to be avoided, always check with a health professional if you are unsure.