Hepatitis in the Workplace: Understanding Hepatitis A and B

1. Hepatitis A (HAV)

* HAV is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis A virus (HAV).

* It is spread through contact with contaminated food or water, or through contact with an infected person's feces.

* HAV is not usually spread through blood-to-blood contact.

* Symptoms of HAV can include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).

* HAV is usually a self-limited illness, and most people recover completely within a few weeks.

* However, HAV can cause severe illness in some people, including liver failure and death.

* There is a vaccine available to prevent HAV.

2. Hepatitis B (HBV)

* HBV is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis B virus (HBV).

* It is spread through contact with infected blood or body fluids, such as semen or vaginal fluid.

* HBV is not usually spread through casual contact, such as shaking hands or hugging.

* Symptoms of HBV can include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, light-colored stools, joint pain, and jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes).

* HBV can cause both acute and chronic infection.

* Acute HBV usually resolves within a few weeks, but chronic HBV can lead to liver damage, cirrhosis, and liver failure.

* There is a vaccine available to prevent HBV.