01/30/14

Hepatitis A

In today’s society people go out to restaurants and eat every day, but many people don’t know the dangers of how Hepatitis A really is. The infectious pathogen that causes Hepatitis A can be from stool, water that people have bathed in, storm water, and toilet water can all contain the pathogens that cause Hepatitis A. If someone goes to a restaurant and the cook had used the restroom and forgot to wash his hands, the cook could spread the pathogens that cause Hepatitis A to the customers.

The United States sanitation system isn’t as under developed as other countries whose sanitation system is under developed. Seeing outbreaks of Hepatitis A in the United States isn’t as common as it is in other countries. Each year there is about 30,000 t0 50,000 reported outbreaks of people becoming contaminated with the Hepatitis A virus. Nationally the amount of Hepatitis A infections has decreased since the last peak in 1995. Hepatitis was the lowest ever in 2007. Even though Hepatitis A has decreased throughout the years, rates are double among American Indians/ Alaskan Natives and Mexicans as to whites in the United States.

In September 2013 there was an estimated one hundred sixty two people that were infected with the Hepatitis A virus. This outbreak reached ten different states in the U.S. This outbreak was caused from ‘Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend’ pomegranate seeds. It was reported that the case that was reported in Wisconsin was from exposure to the fruit in California. In other states where cases were reported came from exposer during travel from Nevada. Six of the cases that were reported came from household contact. Fifty percent of the cases that were reported were those of woman. Forty four percent of the people that came in contact with the pomegranate seeds were hospitalized, there were not any fatalities reported. All of the people who became ill from eating the pomegranate seeds purchased them from Costco.

Symptoms that occur from the Hepatitis A virus include: jaundice, nausea, and tiredness, and dark urine, loss of appetite, stomach ache, fever, and vomiting. Children that become infected with Hepatitis A usually don’t have any symptoms. When adults her symptoms it takes several days for them to occur. When symptoms occur they can last for up to two months. Ten to fifteen percent of people who show symptoms have prolonged or relapsing disease that can last for six months. Since there isn’t a treatment for hepatitis A and patients usually suffer from a loss of appetite it is important that people who do become infected keep their nutrition up so they can avoid getting permanent liver damage.

If people travel a lot for work where hepatitis A is common it would be a good idea if they got a Hepatitis A vaccine which provides a long term protection when two shots are given. Anyone from the age two and older is eligible to receive the vaccine. The only requirement is that it is given before becoming in contact with the virus. The vaccine is suggested to be given to men who have sex with men, individuals who use drugs, people who have chronic liver disease, and people who work with animals that are infected with the Hepatitis A virus. To prevent spreading the virus from person to person, proper sanitation, good personal hygiene, and always washing your hands with warm water and soap after using the restroom.