Food Born Illnesses

Hepatitis A

* What is the infectious agent (pathogen) that causes this infectious disease? For example, the name of the bacteria, virus, or parasite.

The pathogen that causes Hep A is feces, urine and nasopharyngeal secretions. Modes of transmission can be fecal-oral. The virus enters the body by ingestion, starts multiplying in intestinal epithelium and then through blood it reaches liver. This is why it is important to practice good personal hygiene

* How is this infectious agent transmitted through food or water?

The hepatitis A virus is found in the stool of an infected person. It is spread when a person eats food or drinks water that has come in contact with infected stool. The spread of Hepatitis A can come from places such as restaurants. A group of people can contract this virus from a restaurant if an employee does not wash their hands after using the restroom. Another likely location could be a daycare center, where most children wear diapers. If a child could get stool on their hands and touch something that another child may put in their mouths and the daycare employee could spread it if they do not properly wash their hands after changing a child’s diaper.

* What is an example of a real life outbreak of this foodborne illness in the United States?

In 2003, Pennsylvania health officials learned of a potential hepatitis A outbreak from emergency room doctors treating patients in Beaver County. Through an interviewing process it was discovered that the patients had eaten at Chi Chi restaurant at a local mall. It was encouraged that everyone that had eaten at the restaurant in the past 14 days receive an Immune globulin (Ig) shot to prevent becoming ill with the hepatitis A virus.

* What are the clinical symptoms, duration of the disease, and treatment if any?

Many people who have hepatitis A show no symptoms at all or the symptoms are so mild they go unnoticed. Symptoms of hepatitis A usually develop between 2 and 6 weeks...