Ukraine: Scores of hepatitis A cases reported Vinnytsia region outbreak
Health officials in Ukraine report an outbreak of hepatitis A in the Vinnytsia region in the central part of the country.
"151 patients remain in the hospitals, 25 have already been discharged. Now - based on the identified hypotheses - doctors are additionally interviewing patients with confirmed diagnoses and clarifying connections that point to a common source of infection," - wrote the chief state sanitary doctor of Ukraine, Igor Kuzin.
The source of the outbreak is under investigation.
Residents are advised to follow preventive measures:
thoroughly wash fruits and vegetables before cooking;
do not use water from unverified sources, any non-bottled water must be boiled before use;
do not buy products spontaneously at markets
do not use home-made dairy products without heat treatment.
Hepatitis A is a very contagious liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus. It can range from a mild infection with no symptoms lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months that can result in liver failure and death.
Symptoms include weakness, fever, diarrhea, vomiting and jaundice.
Hepatitis A is usually spread when the virus is taken in by mouth from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by the feces or stool of an infected person. A person can get hepatitis A through:
Person to person contact
when an infected person does not wash his or her hands properly after going to the bathroom and touches other objects or food
when a parent or caregiver does not properly wash his or her hands after changing diapers or cleaning up the stool of an infected person
when someone has sex or sexual contact with an infected person. (not limited to anal-oral contact)
Contaminated food or water
The most effective way to prevent hepatitis A is vaccination.