Hepatitis A

Symptoms of hepatitis A appear from 15 to 50 days after coming in contact with the virus, but most often occur within 30 days.

Symptoms may include fever, loss of appetite, nausea, abdominal pain, feeling generally unwell (malaise), yellow skin and eyes (jaundice), pale stools and dark urine.

Young children may not show any symptoms.

The disease can be more severe in adults, especially those with other health conditions affecting their immune system, including liver disease.

If you think you have symptoms of hepatitis A, it is important to see your health care provider and not attend work, school or child care while ill.

Hepatitis A can be spread from one person to another person by the fecal-oral route.

This means that feces (stool) from a person who is infected with hepatitis A must get into the mouth of another person for the infection to spread.

This can happen many different ways, such as:

• Eating food handled by someone who is infected with the virus and who does not thoroughly wash his or her hands after using the toilet
• Drinking contaminated water
• Eating raw shellfish from water polluted with sewage
• Being in close contact with a person who is infected, even if that person has no signs or symptoms of the infection
• Having sex with someone who is infected

A blood test is used to diagnose hep A.  This blood test can reveal if an individual currently has hep A, has had hep A in the past (resolved) or has previously received the vaccine.  

What is the treatment for hepatitis A?

There is no medication to treat hepatitis A. Most people are sick for about 1 to 2 weeks and then recover, while others may develop more serious illness. It is important to see your healthcare provider if you think you might be sick with hepatitis A. After recovering from the illness, a person is considered immune and protected against hepatitis A in the future.

How do I protect myself from hepatitis A?

There are many ways that you can protect yourself and others from a hepatitis A infection:

• Talk to your healthcare provider about the hepatitis A vaccine, especially before traveling to countries where hepatitis A is more common
• Avoid local water when travelling in countries where the water supply is uncertain; instead, use only sealed bottled water or treated (chemically disinfected or boiled) water for drinking, brushing teeth, preparing foods, making ice and cooking
• Do not eat raw foods washed in local water when travelling; eat only cooked food and fruit that can be peeled after it has been washed with water from a safe source
• Wash raw fruits and vegetables well with clean running water before eating; to prevent the fruit inside from becoming contaminated when cut or peeled, scrub rough fruit like melons and oranges with a brush first
• Do not eat raw seafood
• Always wash hands well with soap and water for at least 15 seconds before and after preparing food, before eating, after using the toilet, after changing diapers, after handling pets or their feces and anytime hands may be dirty
• Avoid contact with stool (feces) during sexual activity
• Do not prepare foods or drinks for others if you have diarrhea

How do I practice safer sex?

• Use an internal or external condom, every time you have oral, vaginal and/or anal sex
• Use water-based or silicone-based lubricants
• If you share sex toys, cover the toy with a condom and clean after each use
• Get tested for sexually transmitted infections (STIs) regularly 

For more information: https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/sexual-health-clinic.aspx

• Use new equipment every time you use, including pipes, needles, syringes and all other supplies (like cookers, filters and water)
• Never share equipment with anyone, including your sex partner(s)
• Access Needle and Syringe Programs or Supervised Consumption Services for new equipment and harm reduction services

For more information:  https://www.ottawapublichealth.ca/en/public-health-topics/sexual-health-clinic.aspx