Hepatitis A

Recovering from hepatitis A symptoms may be slow and can take several weeks or months.³

By eating food or drinking water contaminated by faeces from someone who has the virus. Hepatitis A can also be transmitted through close physical contact with an infectious person or through the use of recreational drugs using contaminated equipment.^3,4

Hepatitis A is found across the world, but in some areas the prevalence is higher, in particular in parts of Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Central and South America (see map).^1-4

Symptoms usually occur 2-4 weeks after being exposed, therefore you may start to feel ill when you are back home after your trip. Fever, flu-like symptoms (such as tiredness, headache and muscle pains), diarrhoea, nausea, discomfort in the abdomen, dark-coloured urine and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes) are all potential symptoms of hepatitis A.^3,4

In most cases, hepatitis A is not serious. People usually get better within a few months and suffer no long-term effects³. In rare cases, hepatitis can cause life-threatening complications such as liver problems, especially for the elderly.^3,4

You can take the following precautions to help reduce your risk of infection:

• Visit your nearest convenient pharmacy or specialist travel health clinic for a risk assessment before your trip.
• Drink bottled water and avoid food and drink which may have been prepared by someone infected with the virus and has not washed their hands properly, or washed them in water contaminated with sewage.⁴
• Avoid eating shellfish and raw fruit and vegetables.⁴
• Practice safer sex and do not share needles.⁴