In recent days, new cases of hepatitis A have appeared in Europe and Portugal. The General Directorate of Health is already talking about an outbreak: from January 1 to March 5, 23 cases were detected. Most of the patients are men aged 20 to 49 years. How to get infected with hepatitis A? What symptoms does it cause?
According to the Directorate General of Health, hepatitis A is an acute infection of the liver caused by HAV. It is a contagious infection that can lead to outbreaks over a period of weeks or months.
How can you become infected with hepatitis A?
The main route of transmission of the virus is the fecal-oral route through consumption of contaminated food or water or through close contact with infected people. If contaminated food is ingested, it can occur in people traveling to endemic areas, that is, where the virus circulates among the population.
What to do if you are infected?
After exposure to the virus, a person must remain in isolation for an average of 28 days, but this period can vary from 15 to 50 days. The infection period lasts about two to three weeks until the first symptoms appear. People who have come into contact with an infected person you have up to two weeks to get vaccinated. After this period, vaccination is no longer recommended.
What are the symptoms of hepatitis A?
Fever is one of the main symptoms to consider, but other factors include physical discomfort, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, lack of appetite, fatigue, darker urine, and yellower skin and eye color. A The frequency and severity of symptoms depend on the patient’s age. There are also people who may be asymptomatic.
Which groups are most vulnerable?
The DGS explains that the risk of infection increases for people who use drugs, people with liver disease and people with the HIV virus. Among the groups most susceptible to the virus are men who have sex with other men and people who travel or live in places with poorer sanitary conditions, such as some countries in South America, Africa and Asia.
How to prevent it?
One of the easiest ways to prevent infection with the virus is vaccination. The vaccine is included in the National Vaccination Plan, but can only be administered in one dose. Hand washing and disinfection, good personal hygiene, drinking bottled water, and preparing and washing food properly are some of the behaviors that help prevent infection.
Author: Philippa Margarida Correia This Katarina Cruz
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Dave Martin, and I’m an experienced journalist working in the news industry. As a part of my work, I write for 24 News Reporters, covering mostly sports-related topics. With more than 5 years of experience as a journalist, I have written numerous articles on various topics to provide accurate information to readers.