29.nov.06
from a press release
TORONTO - Hepatitis A is often considered to be a 'traveller's disease.' In the wake of the recent hepatitis outbreak in west-end Toronto however, the Canadian Liver Foundation (CLF) is reminding the public that both hepatitis A and B can be prevented by vaccine. The CLF sees immunization against these serious forms of liver disease as something everyone should consider.
"Many people do consider getting immunized for hepatitis A and B if they're planning a trip," says Billie Potkonjak, Director of Health Promotion and Patient Services for the Canadian Liver Foundation. "It is important however to recognize the risks for contracting these potentially serious and highly infectious diseases right here at home." In fact, it is estimated that only 16 per cent of hepatitis A cases in Canada are directly related to travel(1).
Hepatitis A varies in severity from a mild illness that can last a few weeks, to a severely disabling disease that can last for several months(2). While death from hepatitis A is rare(3), severity increases with age(4), and approximately 25 per cent of adult cases require hospitalization(5).
Hepatitis A in Canada
People born in Canada do not have a natural defense against hepatitis A, and are susceptible to acquiring this infection through contaminated food or beverages, and through direct contact with someone who is infected with the disease.
It is important to understand that children may not show symptoms when they have hepatitis A. As such, it is possible for children to pass the infection on to their parents, daycare staff, teachers and other children without ever knowing that they have the virus. In fact, it is estimated that fifty per cent of people who contract hepatitis A do not know how they caught the disease.(6)
As hepatitis A can be prevented by vaccine, the Canadian Liver Foundation encourages everyone to consider immunization as a precaution against this liver disease. Anyone who already has a chronic liver disease such as hepatitis B or C should be immunized. Besides immunization, it is also important to continually practice good hygiene, including frequent hand-washing, to reduce the spread of hepatitis A.