Your device is offline, and you are viewing the page as it appeared the last time you accessed it on this device. Content may be out-of-date, and links to other pages might not work.
This website uses cookies
Some of these cookies are essential, while others help us to improve your experience by providing insights into how the site is being used.
Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver, which causes jaundice and is highly infectious.
How did I get it?
Hepatitis A is commonly caught from:
contaminated food or water
close contact with another infected person
sharing food with an infected person
swimming in contaminated water
When did I get it?
The illness usually occurs within 15-40 days of infection, and will be most infectious for 2 weeks before the illness beings and for up to 7 days after the jaundice appears.
What are the signs and symptoms?
dark urine - often described as 'tea coloured'
fever
abdominal pain
loss of appetite
jaundiced (yellow) skin and eyes
itching
How do I stop it spreading?
Wash hands thoroughly after going to the toilet, after changing baby's nappies and before preparing meals or eating
Young children with the infection should have their hands washed for them or be supervised
Thoroughly wash all crockery between uses
Disinfect all areas in the toilet daily (including door handles)
Infected people should stay away from work until they have been free of symptoms of diarrhoea and vomiting for at least 48 hours
If the infected person is in a high risk group e.g. is a food handler, nursery worker, nurse or carer for the elderly etc. they cannot return to work until they have been completely recovered for 48 hours. Sometimes clear faecal specimens (negative results) are required. Also, it may be necessary to temporarily exclude infected children from playgroups, nurseries, childminders or schools. An Officer from the department will inform you if exclusion is necessary and when you are able to resume activities
Where can I get more advice?
Your GP will be able to give you advice on treatment.
You should tell your place of work or in the case of children, the head teacher of the school to find out if exclusion is necessary and when you can return.
If you report your infection, the council's investigating officer will give you a more general leaflet on infection control.
