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What is Hepatitis?
Hepatitis means inflammation of the liver. Although there are seven known types of hepatitis, usually it is caused by one of three viruses; Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, or Hepatitis C.
Hepatitis A (HAV)
What is Hepatitis A (HAV)?
- HAV is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver. It does not lead to chronic disease.
How is it Spread?
- HAV is transmitted by fecal/oral (anal/oral sex) route with infected persons and close person to person contact with people who have Hepatitis A.
- Ingestion of contaminated food and water
- Hand to mouth after contact with infected feces (such as changing diapers)
What are the Symptoms?
- Children may experience no symptoms.
- Adults may experience such as:
- light stools
- dark urine
- fatigue
- fever
- nausea
- vomiting
- abdominal pain
- jaundice
Is There a Vaccine?
- Yes. Two doses of the vaccine to any one over 1 year of age.
Who’s at Risk?
- Household or sexual contact with a person living with an infected person
- Living in an area with a HAV outbreak
- Travelers to developing countries
- Persons engaging in anal/oral sex
- Injection drug users
Prevention
- Vaccination
- Short-term protection is available from Hepatitis A from immune globulin. This can be given before and within two weeks of contact with Hepatitis A.
- Washing hands with soap and water after using the bathroom.
- Clean household surfaces (10 parts water to 1 part bleach) to clean surfaces contaminated with feces (such as changing tables)
- Safe sex
Hepatitis B
What is Hepatitis B (HBV)?
- HBV is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver.
- HBV can cause liver cell damage, leading to cirrhosis and cancer.
How is it Spread?
- HBV is spread through the contact with infected blood, seminal fluid, vaginal secretions, contaminated needles, including tattoos and body-piercing tools.
- HBV can be passed from mother to newborn, by human bite, or sexual contact.
What are the Symptoms?
- About 30% of those infected show no symptoms and children are less common than adults to show symptoms.
- Others may have mild flu-like symptoms such as:
- light stools
- dark urine
- fatigue
- fever
- jaundice
- abdominal pain
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- vomiting
- join pain
Is There a Vaccine?
- Yes. Three doses of the vaccine may be given to persons of any age.
Who’s at Risk?
- Infants born to infected mothers
- Infant and children of immigrants from areas of HBV infection.
- Having sex with an infected partner or multiple partners
- Injection drug users
- Emergency responders
- Healthcare workers
- Persons engaging in anal/oral sex
- Hemodialysis patients
- Household contacts of chronically infected persons
Prevention
- Vaccination provides coverage for 20+ years
- Hepatitis B Immune Globulin within one week of exposure
- Clean up infected blood with household bleach and wear protective gloves
- Do not share razors, toothbrushes, or needles
- Safe sex
Hepatitis C
What is Hepatitis C (HCV)?
- HCV is a virus that causes inflammation of the liver.
- HCV can cause liver cell damage, leading to cirrhosis and cancer.
How is it Spread?
- HAV is transmitted by contact with infected blood, contaminated IV needles, razors, needles, and tattoo body-piercing tools.
- Infected mother to newborn.
What are the Symptoms?
- Some people may experience no symptoms.
- Others may have mild flu-like symptoms such as:
- light stools
- dark urine
- fatigue
- fever
- jaundice
- abdominal pain
- loss of appetite
- nausea/li>
Is There a Vaccine?
Who’s at Risk?
- Blood transfusion recipients before 1992
- Healthcare workers
- Injection drug users
- Hemodialysis patients
- Infants born to infected mother
- Sex partners
Prevention
- Clean up spilled blood with household bleach.
- Wear gloves when touching blood.
- Do not share razors, toothbrushes, or needles with anyone.
- Safe sex
- People who are HCV positive should not donate blood, organs, or tissue.
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