8 Important Facts About Hepatitis A; Symptoms, Treatment And More

Risk Factors For Contracting Hepatitis A

Those who live in developing countries or areas with poor sanitation and hygiene are at the highest risk of contracting hepatitis A. Children in these areas are also highly likely to contract and spread the disease. Developing countries have high rates of hepatitis A than do developed regions, such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United States, and Western Europe. Many children in the United States are vaccinated at one or two years of age, which helps to curb the spread of the disease. In developed regions, those who are most likely to contract the disease commonly travel to countries with high rates of hepatitis A, homosexual men, intravenous drug users who share needles, children in childcare, and childcare providers.

How Hepatitis A Is Diagnosed

A simple blood test from a doctor can determine if a patient is infected with hepatitis A as the virus is present in the blood and feces for up to two weeks before clinical illness or symptoms develop. Doctors diagnose the disease by looking for the presence of hepatitis A antibodies in the blood, which are absent in healthy individuals. This type of antibody is detectable one to two weeks after infection and remains present in the bloodstream for up to fourteen weeks. During the acute stage of the disease, there is also a much higher level of a liver enzyme, which is produced because of liver damage, in the bloodstream. Tests for immunity to hepatitis A involve measuring antibody and enzyme levels in the blood.