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Cause:
Hepatitis A virus.
Illness and treatment:
Onset is usually
abrupt with fever, nausea, and abdominal pain followed by
jaundice. Cases may be asymptomatic, particularly in
children. Almost all cases recover but rare infections are
fatal or require liver transplantation. Treatment is
supportive.
Sources:
Acutely infected humans shed virus in the feces and transmit
directly or through fecally contaminated food (produce,
shellfish, uncooked items), water, and environment, often
encountered during international travel. Recent outbreaks in
this country have been associated with imported produce.
Bloodborne transmission is very rare.
Additional risks:
Infected young children
may have no symptoms but can be communicable. Transmission
can occur with groups having poor hygiene or fecal-oral
sexual practices.
Prevention:
To prevent infection, immunize all children and any adults
with risks for exposure including travel to endemic areas.
Recent Washington trends:
Since 1989 when
there were 3,273 cases, hepatitis A incidence decreased to
fewer than 100 cases a year with increased vaccination.
2008:
51 cases (0.8 cases/100,000 population) were reported. All
27 reports of out of state exposures were foreign travel,
including 9 to India and 9 to Mexico.
Purpose of Reporting and
Surveillance
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To
identify individual cases, disease outbreaks and potential
sources of ongoing transmission to prevent further spread of
hepatitis A.
- To identify contacts and assure timely prevention
measures.
- To educate contacts about signs and symptoms of disease,
to facilitate early diagnosis.
- To educate cases and contacts about transmission of
hepatitis A and how to reduce their risk of infection.
Legal Reporting Requirements
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Health care
providers: immediately notifiable to local health
jurisdiction
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Hospitals:
immediately notifiable to local health jurisdiction
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Laboratories:
detection of anti-HAV IgM notifiable to local health
jurisdiction within 2 work days
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Local health
jurisdictions: notifiable to the Washington State
Department of Health (DOH) Communicable Disease
Epidemiology Section (CDES) within 7 days of case
investigation completion or summary information required
within 21 days
Last
update
November 2009 |
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