Hepatitis A and B: Protecting Yourself and Your Family

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV). The illness can range from a mild to a severe condition.

Transmission of Hepatitis A: 

• Consumption of contaminated food or water that may contain the feces of infected people;
• Poor personal hygiene;
• In households where an infected person prepares food for family members;
• Certain types of sexual contact (oral-anal contact).

The Hepatitis A virus can survive in water for 3 to 10 months, in feces for up to 30 days, and in a dry environment at room temperature for a week. HAV is killed by boiling for 5 minutes.

Risk Factors for Hepatitis A

Poor sanitation; lack of clean water; drug use; living with an infected person; sexual contact with someone who has an acute form of hepatitis A; traveling to areas with high endemicity.

Symptoms and Incubation Period

The incubation period usually lasts 14–28 days. Common symptoms include: weakness, fever, loss of appetite, diarrhea, vomiting, discomfort in the upper right abdomen, dark urine, and jaundice. Lifetime immunity is formed after recovery.

Prevention of Hepatitis A

The most effective protection is washing hands with soap for at least 20 seconds. Important: A safe vaccine is available for prevention. It is a recommended vaccine (not included in the mandatory vaccination schedule). Vaccination is especially vital for food industry and water utility workers. 

Hepatitis B

Key Facts Hepatitis B is a liver infection that can cause both acute and chronic disease.

Key Facts

• The virus is transmitted through contact with blood or other body fluids of an infected person.
• Approximately 300 million people are chronically infected with hepatitis B.
• Over 800,000 people die each year from the consequences of the infection (cirrhosis, liver cancer).
• The virus can survive outside the body for at least 7 days and remain highly infectious.
• The incubation period averages 75 days (ranging from 30 to 180 days).
• Hepatitis B infection can be prevented with a modern, safe, and effective vaccine.

Hepatitis B Transmission Routes

• Horizontal: Contact with blood and body fluids (semen, vaginal secretions, saliva).
• Vertical: From mother to child during childbirth.
• Sexual: Unprotected sex.
• Household: Sharing needles, razors, toothbrushes, or manicure tools.
• Medical/Cosmetic: Surgeries, dentistry, tattoos, or piercings (if instruments are non-sterile).

Important: Infection in adults leads to chronic hepatitis in only 5% of cases, whereas in infants, it reaches 90%.

Symptoms

Most people do not notice any symptoms during the acute stage. However, some may experience: jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), dark urine, pale stools, nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, and abdominal pain.

Prevention of Hepatitis B

Vaccination is the only effective protection. WHO recommends vaccinating all infants as soon as possible after birth. After a complete series, more than 95% of children and young adults develop protective antibody levels.

Other prevention measures include:

• Ensuring the safety of donor blood;
• Safe injection practices;
• Using disposable instruments;
• Safe sex (using condoms).

Remember, hepatitis is often called a "silent killer" because it may show no symptoms in the early stages. Early diagnosis and vaccination are the only ways to protect yourself and your family from severe complications like cirrhosis or liver cancer. Do not delay your health. Book a consultation by calling 0 800 30 92 91 or leave a request on our website.