HEPATITIS A & HEPATITS B

Travelling to Asia, Africa, Central or South America or the Caribbean?

Your trip can bring you so much excitement and adventure. But unfortunately, it can also put you at risk for hepatitis A & hepatitis B.

Relax. There's no need to worry or cancel your plans. Hepatitis A & hepatitis B are two vaccine-preventable diseases that you could encounter while travelling. By reading up on the facts, you'll be savvier about the diseases, as well as ways to protect against them.

Symptoms & Spread

Viral hepatitis is a group of infectious diseases that affect the liver.

They include hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and others. Hepatitis A and hepatitis B can be prevented through vaccination and are therefore also referred to as vaccine preventable hepatitis (VPH). There is no vaccination for hepatitis C.

Hepatitis A is passed in the stool of infected persons. Transmission is from person-to-person contact or through contaminated food and water. Hepatitis A is highly contagious and affects 1.4million people worldwide and in travellers is the most common vaccine preventable disease.

The symptoms may range in severity and may include fatigue, jaundice, appetite loss, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, vomiting and fever and chills.

Hepatitis B is caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV) and is one of the three most common vaccine preventable disease contracted by travellers. Hepatitis B is spread through contact with contaminated blood or other body fluids. HBV can be spread via tattoo needles, injection drug use, and unprotected sex. Also, if you were to become injured, for example, following an accident, you could be exposed to the disease from medical instruments and equipment tainted with infected blood. One in three people worldwide has been infected with the hepatitis B virus and more than 350million are chronic hepatitis B carriers. It is the leading cause of liver cancer and the World Health Organisation estimates that hepatitis B leads to more than a million deaths every year.

Symptoms may include fatigue, jaundice, appetite loss, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, and fever.

With both forms of hepatitis, an infected person may experience different degrees of symptoms. Some may exhibit no signs of the disease, while others may suffer months of severe symptoms.

If left unresolved, hepatitis B can result in a lifelong infection, cirrhosis (a type of scarring of the liver), cancer of the liver, and liver failure. Both forms of vaccine-preventable hepatitis can result in death.

Prevention

One way to protect against hepatitis is by educating yourself. So learn precautions you can take before travelling.

Research the risk factor of your destination.
Do a little bit of homework before you make any travel arrangements. If you do find that the area you plan to visit may be at risk, following some key steps will help ensure your safety and put you more at ease on your trip.

Practice good hygiene. Washing your hands with soap and warm water can help guard against hepatitis A. To help avoid hepatitis B, refrain from any risky behavior, including unprotected sex, tattooing, and injection drug use.

Cautious medical care.
Medical instruments and equipment tainted with infected blood can pass along the hepatitis B virus. So if you were to become involved in an accident, you could be exposed to the disease. That's why prevention through vaccination is so important.

Monitor your meals. Hepatitis A can be spread by contaminated food and water. In some countries: Avoid raw fruits that cannot be peeled, and uncooked vegetables and shellfish. Foods should be washed thoroughly, then cooked at temperatures high enough to kill germs. In addition, drink beverages that are sealed in containers or made with boiled water, such as coffee and tea. Avoid water or soda from a tap, as well as ice, which can expose you to hepatitis A.

Get vaccinated.
Vaccination is an effective way to protect against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.

When should you be vaccinated?
Check with your practice nurse as soon as you have decided where and when you are travelling and they will advise on an appropriate vaccination schedule for you.

Does the vaccine have any side effects?
Like most injections some people may have tenderness and redness at the site of injection. Hepatitis A or B cannot be contracted directly from the vaccines.