The virus being present in the faeces of affected people, the disease is transmitted through contaminated hands or foods. Frequently, it goes unnoticed, especially in children. It can be manifested by the presence of fever, abdominal, nausea, loss of appetite, asthenia and jaundice. In the majority of cases, acute hepatitis spontaneously healed without sequelae. The serious, rarer forms occur mainly in adults, the risk of severity and mortality increasing with age and in the presence of hepatic comorbidities.
Also, the ministry responsible for health invites you to be vigilant in the face of patients with compatible symptoms and remember the associated recommendations:
- This disease is compulsory (Cerfa 12614-02 form) and the reporting makes it possible to initiate tracking measures around the case, identify transmission channels and propose prophylaxis measures to contacts;
- It is important to remind the laboratory to send samples to the National Reference Center for Hepatitis (CNR) with enteric transmission (hepatitis a and e) so that a serotyping is carried out to identify transmission channels (sampling sheet), in group situations or when the evolution of epidemiology is unusual.
- The majority of cases are contaminated during travel abroad, in endemic areas. Any departure in these zones or returns, must be accompanied by the necessary information and prevention measures including vaccination;
- Specific practices and audiences are also at risk: people in precarious situations and having difficulties in access to water, men with sex with men, ano-buckwheat, the use of drugs by intravenous way;
- VIHA vaccination constitutes a recommended prevention measure for the audiences exposed to the risk (2025 vaccinations calendar). It is systematically recommended around each case declared (within 14 days after the start of the symptoms of the index case).
Other information is available on the website of the ministry responsible for health: Hepatitis has
