Confirmed hepatitis A case prompts public alert in Wetaskiwin

RED DEER – Alberta Health Services (AHS) has confirmed a case of hepatitis A in an individual who volunteered at the Wetaskiwin Mission Church Christmas dinner while infectious.

Guests who attended the event on Dec. 20 may have been exposed to hepatitis A.

“While we believe the risk to the public is low, hepatitis A is a serious infection,” says Dr. Ifeoma Achebe, Medical Officer of Health for AHS Central Zone. “As a precaution, anyone who attended the dinner is advised to monitor themselves and their family for symptoms until Feb. 7, 2016.”

Hepatitis A is an infection of the liver caused by a virus. Spread through the fecal-oral route, individuals primarily contract hepatitis A through direct contact with an infected person; however, individuals can also contract the illness indirectly by ingestion of contaminated food or water. If an infected individual does not properly wash his/her hands after using the washroom, the virus can be transmitted through food and beverage prepared by the infected individual.

Illness can occur between 15 and 50 days after exposure to the virus, but usually occurs within 28 to 30 days. Individuals can be infectious one to two weeks before symptoms occur until at least one week after the onset of illness.

Symptoms of hepatitis A may include tiredness; poor appetite; nausea and vomiting; abdominal pain and fever, followed by dark-coloured urine, light-coloured stools and yellowing of eyes and skin several days later. Some people, especially young children, may get hepatitis A infection without noticing any symptoms; however, they are still infectious to others.

Individuals who develop symptoms from Jan. 3 to Feb. 7 are advised to contact Health Link at 811 immediately.

Individuals who have had hepatitis A infection in the past or who have previously received two doses of hepatitis A vaccine are not at risk of infection.

There is no specific treatment for hepatitis A, but it can be prevented through immunization.

Alberta Health Services is the provincial health authority responsible for planning and delivering health supports and services for more than four million adults and children living in Alberta. Its mission is to provide a patient-focused, quality health system that is accessible and sustainable for all Albertans.

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