Traveling 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.
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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 traveling. By reading up on the facts, you'll be savvier about the diseases, as well as ways to protect against them.
Hepatitis is a disease that all international travelers should be wary of. But the truth is, few people jaunting off to another country for business or a good time know the true dangers of hepatitis. In fact, most people probably aren’t aware that infectious hepatitis is caused by at least five distinct viruses - A, B, C, D, and E. While each virus has its own dangers, hepatitis A and B are the only viruses you can be vaccinated against. There is even a three-dose combination vaccine that provides protection against both hepatitis A and B.
So go ahead and select the form of hepatitis you want to learn more about from the list below. If you are traveling to an international Travel Health Risks area, it’s important to see your doctor or to go to a Travel Clinic for information about vaccination. Please check our individual country data
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.
One way to protect against hepatitis is by educating yourself. So learn precautions you can take before traveling.
Research the risk factor of your destination
Do a little bit of homework before you make any travel arrangements. Check out the "Are You at Risk?" and Potential Health Risks to Travelers section to get started. 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.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends vaccination as an effective way to protect against hepatitis A and hepatitis B.
Also see:
Note:
This information is intended to give a broad indication of the health risks to which travelers may be exposed in various parts of the world and which they may or may not encounter in their usual place of residence. In practice, to identify areas accurately and define the degree of risk likely in each of them is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Disease patterns vary over time and within regions. Risk of exposure varies with individual activities. Please check the latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) travel advisories prior to your trip and consult your nearest Travel Clinic.
References
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Prevention of hepatitis A through active or passive immunization: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR 1996;45(RR-15):1-31.
2. American Academy of Pediatrics. Hepatitis A. In: Peter G. ed. 1997 Red Book: Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 24th ed. Elk Grove Village, Ill: American Academy of Pediatrics. 1997:237-246.
3. Hepatitis Surveillance. Atlanta, Ga: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 1996. US Dept of Health and Human Services report 56.
4. Abstract of International Travel to and from the United States 1995. Department of Commerce. US Travel and Tourism Administration. Office of Research. November 1996:21-23.
5. International Travel and Health: Vaccination Requirements and Health Advice. Situation as on 1 January 1993. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 1993.
6. Hadler SC. Global impact of hepatitis A virus infection: changing patterns. In: Hollinger FB, Lemon SM, Margolis HS, eds. Viral Hepatitis and Liver Disease. Baltimore, Md: Williams & Wilkins: 1991:14-20.
7. Havrix® (Hepatitis A Vaccine, Inactivated) Prescribing Information, 1999.
8. Data on file, HAR297. SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals.
9. Bienzle U, Bock HL, Kruppenbacher JP, et al. Immunogenicity of an inactivated hepatitis A vaccine administered according to two different schedules and the interference of other "travellers" vaccines with the immune response. Vaccine. 1996;14:501-505.
10. Steffen R. Hepatitis A in Travelers: The European Experience. Journal of Infectious Diseases. 1995;171(Suppl 1):S24-S28.
11. Data on file, HAR398. SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals.