Food Borne Illness
Food Borne Illness
Jean D. Louisgene
March 14, 2015
SCI/163
Guido Sanchez
Hepatitis A is a type of liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. The virus is spread from one person to another when feces even small amounts of it of someone with hepatitis A virus gets into another person 's mouth. There are a couple of ways that this could happen, by eating food that is raw or not thoroughly cooked that has been handled or prepared by someone who has hepatitis A, drinking water that has feces in it, blood to blood contact with someone who is effected, and through sex. Hepatitis does not cause long term infection. If you had it once you cannot be infected with the virus again only other types as in hepatitis B or C. The immune system in your body tries to fight the disease by using its antibodies.
Not everyone who is infected with the hepatitis A virus will experience symptoms. Some kids and babies infected with the disease do not have any symptoms at all. But those who experience symptoms may have yellowing of the skin, eyes, and fingernails, may feel tired, pain in the upper right abdomen, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dark urine, pale stool, and joint pain. This disease can be diagnosed by taking a blood tests. Your health care provider can order these tests if you have symptoms of or if you were infected with it in the past. The blood test looks for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies and immunoglobulin G (IgG). If the test shows that you are negative for both antibodies, you probably have never been infected you should get the vaccine. If you are positive for IgM and negative for IgG the infection most likely took place within the past six months. If you are negative for IgM and positive for IgG you were infected for some time and you have been vaccinated against hepatitis.
The treatment for hepatitis A is bed rest. It is important to drink plenty of fluids especially if you have diarrhea or vomiting. Over the
Jean D. Louisgene
March 14, 2015
SCI/163
Guido Sanchez
Hepatitis A is a type of liver disease caused by the hepatitis A virus. The virus is spread from one person to another when feces even small amounts of it of someone with hepatitis A virus gets into another person 's mouth. There are a couple of ways that this could happen, by eating food that is raw or not thoroughly cooked that has been handled or prepared by someone who has hepatitis A, drinking water that has feces in it, blood to blood contact with someone who is effected, and through sex. Hepatitis does not cause long term infection. If you had it once you cannot be infected with the virus again only other types as in hepatitis B or C. The immune system in your body tries to fight the disease by using its antibodies.
Not everyone who is infected with the hepatitis A virus will experience symptoms. Some kids and babies infected with the disease do not have any symptoms at all. But those who experience symptoms may have yellowing of the skin, eyes, and fingernails, may feel tired, pain in the upper right abdomen, loss of appetite, weight loss, fever, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, dark urine, pale stool, and joint pain. This disease can be diagnosed by taking a blood tests. Your health care provider can order these tests if you have symptoms of or if you were infected with it in the past. The blood test looks for immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies and immunoglobulin G (IgG). If the test shows that you are negative for both antibodies, you probably have never been infected you should get the vaccine. If you are positive for IgM and negative for IgG the infection most likely took place within the past six months. If you are negative for IgM and positive for IgG you were infected for some time and you have been vaccinated against hepatitis.
The treatment for hepatitis A is bed rest. It is important to drink plenty of fluids especially if you have diarrhea or vomiting. Over the
Citations: Achord, James L.. Understanding Hepatitis. Jackson, MS, USA: University Press of Mississippi, 2002. ProQuest ebrary. Web. 13 March 2015.