Hepatitis A is a highly infectious liver disease. Hepatitis A and hepatitis B are common vaccine-preventable diseases to travelers. In 1997, an estimated 180,000 Americans contracted hepatitis A.
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Symptoms of hepatitis A include fever, lack of appetite, abdominal discomfort, tiredness, nausea, dark urine and jaundice (yellow coloring of the skin and the white part of the eye).
Clinical illness usually lasts about 2 months, but approximately 10% to 15% of persons have relapsing disease that can last up to 6 months. Asymptomatic infection (no noticeable symptoms) is more common in children under the age of 6, whereas more than 70% of infected adults and children older than the age of 6 develop symptoms and a more prolonged and severe course. Asymptomatic children can pass hepatitis A on to non-vaccinated adults, resulting in potentially severe illness.
Approximately 11% to 22% of persons with hepatitis A require hospitalization, and approximately 100 patients die each year in the United States from severe hepatitis A infection. In addition, patients miss an average of 27 days of work each year due to hepatitis A infection.
Hepatitis A is spread by the fecal-oral route through close person-to-person contact, or by ingesting contaminated food or water. In addition, children infected with the virus, especially those younger than 6 years of age, are usually asymptomatic (show no symptoms) and can pass the disease on to unvaccinated adults.
In unprotected travelers, hepatitis A is 10 to 100 times more common than typhoid fever and 1,000 times more common cholera.
Yes. In fact, the CDC and the World Health Organization recommend vaccination for people traveling to moderate- and high-risk areas. These areas include Mexico, parts of the Caribbean, Africa, Asia (except Japan), eastern Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, southern Europe, the Middle East, and Central and South America.
Good hygiene when traveling is important. Make sure you wash your hands carefully as often as you can. Handwashing after using the bathroom is especially important. But just because you practice good hygiene doesn’t mean others around you will. So, your best protection is to get vaccinated.
Hepatitis A vaccines stimulate your body’s immune system to fight off the virus. So even if you’re exposed to the hepatitis A virus, you’ll be protected. You can also get a combination vaccine that protects you against both the hepatitis A and B viruses simultaneously.
If your travel destination and/or planned activities put you at risk of contracting hepatitis A, but not necessarily hepatitis B, there is a vaccine that will protect you against hepatitis A. Anyone 2 years of age or older who is traveling to a country with high rates of hepatitis A. such as parts of Central or South America, the Caribbean, Mexico, Asia and parts of Europe; people who live In areas of that U.S with high rates of hepatitis A. adults at high risk (for example, men who have sex with men. people who use street drugs: people who use blood clotting medicine or who have liver disease.
However, it is important to remember that hepatitis B is also a serious - yet vaccine-preventable - disease in travelers. A new combination vaccine is available that will protect you from both hepatitis A and hepatitis B. Talk to your doctor or visit a Travel Clinic near you to find out which option is right for you.
The vaccine is safe and generally well tolerated. The most common adverse reactions in clinical trials were some soreness in the arm, headache and fatigue. The vaccine should not be given to persons with known allergies to any of its components.
You should see your doctor or find a travel clinic near you.
The risk of contracting hepatitis A varies depending on the area of the world you travel to. Go to our Individual Country Travel Health Risks page to find out if you’ll be at risk of catching hepatitis A, and other infectious diseases, on your next trip.