What Is the Infectious Agent
1. What is the infectious agent (pathogen) that causes this infectious disease?
Hepatitis A is cause by the Hepatitis A virus. The Hepatitis A virus causes an inflammation of the liver.
2. How is the infectious agent transmitted through food or water?
The Hepatitis A virus is found most commonly in the stools and blood of an infected person about 15 to 45 days before symptoms occur and during the first week of illness. Hepatitis A is transmitted through eating or drinking water that has been contaminated by feces containing the virus. Fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice, and water are the most common sources of the hepatitis A virus. You can also get hepatitis A if you come into contact with the feces or blood of an infected person, if the infected person does not has their hands properly after going to the bathroom and touches other objects or food, and lastly if you participate In sexual acts that involve oral-anal contact.
3. What is an example of a real life outbreak of this foodborne illness in the United States?
In july 2009 a McDonald’s restaurant in Milan Illinois closed early so employees could be screened for hepatitis A and the restaurant completely cleaned. Thirteen out of nineteen cases of hepatitis a in Illinois were in the rock island county which Milan resides in. Rock County and the state of Illinois department of public health say there have been 19 confirmed Hepatitis A cases in the outbreak and a few more that are suspected. The Illinois state health director, Dr. Damon T. Arnold, had issued an advisory of a hepatitis A outbreak earlier in the week advising residents to be extra careful about hand-washing and personal hygiene. Hepatitis A contamination is frequently caused by an infected restaurant worker who doesn't properly wash his or her hands after going to the bathroom. http://foodpoisoning.pritzkerlaw.com/archives/hepatitis-a-mcdonalds-hepatitis-a-outbreak-probed-in-illinois.html 4. What are the clinical symptoms, duration
Hepatitis A is cause by the Hepatitis A virus. The Hepatitis A virus causes an inflammation of the liver.
2. How is the infectious agent transmitted through food or water?
The Hepatitis A virus is found most commonly in the stools and blood of an infected person about 15 to 45 days before symptoms occur and during the first week of illness. Hepatitis A is transmitted through eating or drinking water that has been contaminated by feces containing the virus. Fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice, and water are the most common sources of the hepatitis A virus. You can also get hepatitis A if you come into contact with the feces or blood of an infected person, if the infected person does not has their hands properly after going to the bathroom and touches other objects or food, and lastly if you participate In sexual acts that involve oral-anal contact.
3. What is an example of a real life outbreak of this foodborne illness in the United States?
In july 2009 a McDonald’s restaurant in Milan Illinois closed early so employees could be screened for hepatitis A and the restaurant completely cleaned. Thirteen out of nineteen cases of hepatitis a in Illinois were in the rock island county which Milan resides in. Rock County and the state of Illinois department of public health say there have been 19 confirmed Hepatitis A cases in the outbreak and a few more that are suspected. The Illinois state health director, Dr. Damon T. Arnold, had issued an advisory of a hepatitis A outbreak earlier in the week advising residents to be extra careful about hand-washing and personal hygiene. Hepatitis A contamination is frequently caused by an infected restaurant worker who doesn't properly wash his or her hands after going to the bathroom. http://foodpoisoning.pritzkerlaw.com/archives/hepatitis-a-mcdonalds-hepatitis-a-outbreak-probed-in-illinois.html 4. What are the clinical symptoms, duration