Hepatitis A - including symptoms, treatment and prevention
Hepatitis A infection is spread when traces of faeces (containing Hepatitis A virus) contaminate hands, objects, water or food
Hepatitis A, B, C, D and E summary
Hepatitis A
Further information is available on the Hepatitis A — including symptoms, treatment and prevention web page
Ways hepatitis A is spread
Faecal-oral
Faeces containing the virus are transferred from the infected person to another person’s mouth.
Most infections in Australia are associated with:
- contaminated food, drink and eating utensils
- hands contaminated via contact with nappies, toys or towels soiled with faeces from an infected person
- oral/anal sexual contact
- sewage-contaminated water or shellfish
- travel to countries where hepatitis A is endemic (always present)
- injecting and non-injecting drug use
Course & outcome of infection
Acute infection
Symptoms occur in less than 10% of young children and 40 to 70% of adults who become infected.
Chronic infection
Does not occur in hepatitis A infection
Vaccine or PEP
Yes
Hepatitis B
Further information is available on the Hepatitis B — including symptoms, treatment and prevention web page
Ways hepatitis B is spread
Blood-to-blood and sexual contact
Most infections in Australia are associated with:
- immigration from a high prevalence country (where hepatitis B is more common)
- sharing injecting equipment
- unprotected sex
- mother-to-baby transmission at or around the time of birth
- child-to-child contact through open sores and wounds
- tattooing or body piercing
- household contact – sharing razors and toothbrushes
- receiving blood or blood products before 1971 when screening commenced for hepatitis B virus
Course & outcome of infection
Acute infection
Symptoms occur in up to 50% of adults in the period 2 to 3 months after infection.
Chronic infection
Develops in:
- 5 to 10% of people infected as adults
- 30 to 50% of children infected under 4 years of age
- 90% of infants infected in the perinatal period
Vaccine or PEP
Yes
Hepatitis C
Further information is available on the Hepatitis C — including symptoms, treatment and prevention web page
Ways hepatitis C is spread
Blood-to-blood contact
Most infections in Australia are associated with:
- immigration from a high prevalence country (a country where hepatitis Cis more common)
- sharing injecting equipment
- receiving blood or blood products from 1990 when screening commenced for hepatitis C virus
- tattooing, body piercing or acupuncture
- being a prisoner.
Course & outcome of infection
Acute infection
15 to 25% of people will develop symptoms which are usually mild and may include jaundice.
Chronic infection
50 to 80% of people remain chronically infected.
25% of this group will develop scarring of the liver (cirrhosis) and some will develop liver cancer
Vaccine or PEP
No
Hepatitis D
Further information is available on the Hepatitis D — including symptoms, treatment and prevention web page
Ways hepatitis D is spread
Blood-to-blood contact
Most infections in Australia are associated with:
- immigration from a high prevalence country (a country where hepatitis B and D are more common)
- sharing injecting equipment
Course & outcome of infection
Acute infection
In co-infection, acute hepatitis B and D occur simultaneously. Super infection occurs in people already infected with hepatitis B.
Chronic infection
More likely after super infection
Vaccine or PEP
Yes with hepatitis B vaccine
Hepatitis E
Further information is available on the Hepatitis E — including symptoms, treatment and prevention web page
Ways hepatitis E is spread
Faecal-oral
Faeces containing the virus are transferred to another person’s mouth.
Most infections in Australia are associated with travel to countries where hepatitis E is endemic (always present).
Less commonly, infection can be passed from a pregnant woman to her fetus, or through infected blood transfusion.
Course & outcome of infection
Acute infection
Symptoms are rare in young children. Disease is usually self-limiting with recovery but can be serious, particularly in pregnant women.
Chronic infection
Does not occur in hepatitis E infection
Vaccine or PEP
No
Definitions
Post exposure prophylaxis (PEP)
Antibiotics, vaccination or immunoglobulin (a solution containing human antibodies that is made from blood products) may be offered to contacts after exposure to some infectious diseases. A contact is any person who has been close enough to an infected person to be at risk of having acquired the infection from that person. PEP may prevent the development of the infection during the incubation period, make the infection less severe if it does develop, or reduce the risk of the infection being passed on to other people.
Acute infection
An acute infection occurs when symptoms show up soon after the person is infected (usually within days or weeks). Symptoms may include abdominal discomfort, nausea, fever, fatigue, sometimes followed by jaundice (yellow skin and eyes)
Chronic infection
There may be no symptoms but the person remains infected. Chronic infection may lead to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver failure or liver cancer in some people