Hepatitis A is an acute infection of the liver that travels through your bloodstream and gastrointestinal tract (2). It is transmitted person to person through fecal contamination. Ingesting contaminated food and water is the main source, this usually occurs when an infected food handler prepares food without appropriate hand hygiene (3). Outbreaks are fairly common in institutions, prisons and military forces. An early infection of Hepatitis A can mimic the flu with symptoms such as being febrile, lethargy, nausea, anorexia, abdominal discomfort and eventually causing severe jaundice (1). This virus can progress and cause liver failure and even death if not treated promptly (3).
The incubation period for this virus is 10 to 50 days, depending on the amount of the contaminated source that was ingested. About 22,700 cases of Hepatitis A are reported annually. All people who ingest the virus are susceptible to illness, especially immune compromised individuals such as the elderly and children. Although, this virus is most common in adults. The individuals that ingested the contaminated product remain contagious 10 days following initial infection, most of the time prior to symptoms (1).
On May 31st, 2013 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention issued a warning of a multi-state outbreak of Hepatitis A. The infections were linked to 'Townsend Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend' frozen berry and pomegranate mix. Sixty-three out of Seventy-three people (86%) interviewed said they had purchased the berry mix (2). As of September 30th, 2013 one hundred sixty two people became infected with Hepatitis A; ninety of those people were woman, and eleven children were infected. There were no deaths reported from this outbreak as of today tho...
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.... The FDA has notified everyone that received the shipment of seeds from Turkey and informed them of the recall. The FDA proposed an idea to require safety checks throughout the supply chain from now on to prevent this from happening again.
Hepatitis A being spread can be prevented by properly washing your hands with soap and water before and after preparing food and drinks. Washing hands thoroughly, after using the bathroom and changing diapers. Disinfecting kitchen counters, cutting boards and cooking utensils after use (5). It is recommended that if you feel you may have been contaminated with the virus that you see a healthcare provider promptly and ask about the Hepatitis A vaccine that is available. If you receive the vaccine within fourteen days of exposure illness can be prevented, it is unlikely you will contract Hepatitis A if you've been vaccinated prior.
The exposure to the contaminated food happened during the Memorial Day service celebration, which was May 30th. According to the case study, onset of symptoms occurred from June 5th to June 28th. Therefore, the incubation period from this case ranged from seven days to thirty days. According to Heymann (2014), the incubation period for Typhoid fever ranges from 3 days to over 60 days, with the usual range from eight to fourteen days. A graph of the incubation period is provided in Figure
• Wash your hands thoroughly before and after preparing food and after using the bathroom. Make sure people who live with you wash their hands often too. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer.
...y infections that could cause short term or long term unneeded damage. For this reason doctors and health care professionals are recommending that all people of all ages to get theses vaccines (University of Maryland Center, 2014). Other ways to prevent this disease are to simply keep clean and be aware of good hand hygiene (University of Maryland Center, 2014). By washing your hands with antimicrobial soap and warm water with friction, most bacteria are killed. Doing this prevents organisms from potentially getting inside your body.
For example, those who travel to or live in countries where Hepatitis A is common, have sexual contact with someone who has Hepatitis A, men who have sexual encounters with other men, those who use recreation drugs, have clotting-factor disorders, or are household members or caregiver of someone who is infected with the virus. Other risk factors include intermediate and high endemicity areas include poor sanitation and regulations and lack of safe water. Also, residents from regions with low endemicity for the Hepatitis A Virus infection often remains susceptible in their adulthood. In areas where the virus is wide spread, most Hepatitis A infections occur during early childhood because children tend to ingest everything. As mentioned earlier, adults have signs and symptoms of illness more often than children. The severity of the disease and its fatal outcomes are higher in older age
On January 4, 2011 President Obama signed into law The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). This law has shed new light on the safety and security of our food supply. The last update to the food safety laws in the United States was in 1938. The food safety modernization act pays special attention at trying to modernize the food safety policies in the United States in hopes to prevent problems and concerns before they happen. As we all know, most of our food comes from overseas or sometimes from your neighboring state. The food products travel by car, truck, airplane, boat, or even train. We are all very happy to be receiving our bananas from Costa Rica and all of our other fresh fruits and vegetables that are imported into the United States, but we never stop to think about what pathogens are contaminating our produce and other foods on the way over and if they are safe for us to eat. In an article by Neal Fortin, he states that the law also gives the FDA new standards to hold imported foods to the domestic food standards and it also encourages the FDA to establish and develo...
Hepatitis B is a DNA viral infection that causes damage and inflammation to the liver. It was first discovered in 1965 by Dr. Baruch Blumberg. The HBV virus is very contagious and is even thought to be the most serious form of viral hepatitis and the most common viral infection on Earth. “HBV is 100 times more infectious than HIV.” (Green, 2002, pg. 7) The virus can survive for about one week outside the body on a dry surface. According to Green (2002, pg. 7), “One in twenty Americans has been infected with the virus at some point in their lives.” Between the ages of 15-39 is when 75% of new HBV infections occur, according to Green (2002, pg.8).
The signs and symptoms of blood borne pathogens vary based on the type of disease it is and the ability of a person’s immune system to fight it off. In most cases hepatitis B does not need to be treated and the body can fight it off on its own. However a long-term infection can develop in some people that can cause liver damage. There is a vaccination available to prevent acquiring the disease. The signs and symptoms for hepatitis C are usually mild. It can take two weeks to six months after contact before signs begin to show, or there may not be any symptoms at all. Hepatitis C typically becomes is a long-term infection and after many years will cause liver ...
Acute HBV infection is the most common type of infection in low endemic countries. The incubation period, from transmission to clearness, ranges from 40-180 days. The infection is either symptomatic or asymptomatic/ fulminant hepatitis. Children under the age of 5 years rarely experience symptomatic infection (10%), where’s about 30-40% infected adults and children above age 5 experience a symptomatic infection with yellowing of skin and teeth, vomiting, fatigue, laxity and abdominal pain [1].
Cirrhosis is a deterioration of the liver resulting from heavy scarring, causing the liver to not be able to function properly. If cirrhosis becomes severe, a liver transplant may be the only solution (“Beyond Hangovers: Understanding Alcohol's Impact on Your Health” 14). It is difficult to calculate when a person will develop cirrhosis, because an alcoholic could never develop the disease, but someone who drinks socially could. It is also unknown why cirrhosis is more prevalent in women (Freeman).... ...
An estimated 242,251 Canadians, and 150 million people worldwide are chronically infected with the hepatitis C virus, and more than 350 000 people die every year from hepatitis C-related liver diseases.1 Hepatitis C can lead to other serious diseases, such as liver failure, death, etc. But without any vaccines available to prevent the contraction of the disease, it may be hard to avoid. Due to disease generally being asymptomatic many people are unaware that they have it, further spreading the disease because of a lack of prevention mechanisms. Hepatitis C when developed chronically can cause serious affects on the liver, which may even lead to death. With hepatitis C being such a serious disease, it is important that more people be tested for it so they can start treatment in the early stages of the disease, as well as be aware and informed, before it becomes a chronic infection leading to serious complications.
An infected person should avoid alcohol and limit consumption of drugs that are damaging to the liver, such as acetaminophen. Hospitalization is rare during the treatment of hepatitis A. Matheney, 2012; Gilroy, 2017 Prevention of Hepatitis A is available. “Improved sanitation, food safety and immunization are the most effective ways to combat hepatitis A.” (World Health Organization, 2017) Good hand hygiene is essential in preventing the spread of Hepatitis A. Proper sewage disposal systems are also important in the prevention of Hepatitis A within communities. If a person is traveling to an area where hepatitis A is prevalent, they should avoid ingesting water and uncooked fruits and vegetables.
What is hepatic cirrhosis? According to the medical dictionary hepatic cirrhosis is when scar tissue replaces the liver’s healthy tissue. This disease changes the structure of the liver and blood vessels that nurture it. It reduces the liver’s capability to produce proteins and process hormones, nutrients, medications, and poisons. Cirrhosis is an illness that gets worse over time and possibly can become life threatening. This serious illness is ranked as the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. It is the third most common cause of death for adults between 45 and 65 years of age. It occurs in more than fifty percent of undernourished chronic alcoholics. Unfortunately it kills about 35,000 people per year. In other country’s such as Africa and Asia death from cirrhosis is usually caused by hepatitis B.
There is a disease spreading out in the world called Hepatitis C. It affects the liver and may cause the liver to fail. This disease is caused by a virus called Hepatitis C virus which is also known as HCV. About 32,000 people are affected with this disease per year only in the United States area. Some It’s a disease with many symptoms and many causes. of these symptoms are easy bruising, upset stomach and fever. These are just some of the many symptoms that come from the virus. Hepatitis Cs nature of the causative agent is determined by many things. The biological data of this disease is filled so much information. It is estimated that over 180 million people have gotten Hepatitis C and it is growing.
Viruses can be transmitted in many ways. Being in contact with an infected person will most likely transfer the virus. One can also obtain the virus through swallowing, inhaling, and unsafe sex. Poor hygiene and eating habits usually increase the risk of catching a viral infection. Contracting a viral infection is followed by adverse s...