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Hepatitis A - Management
What steps are recommended to prevent transmission of hepatitis A?
- Give verbal and written advice on hygiene to the infected person and all family members.
- Family members may already have acquired hepatitis A and be excreting the virus, so strict hygiene is important to prevent further transmission.
- Emphasize the importance of hand washing after going to the toilet.
- Hand washing should be supervised after toileting, where necessary (for example people who may have difficulty with personal hygiene, especially children).
- People caring for very young children should wash their hands immediately after changing nappies or toileting (including handling a potty).
- The person should avoid handling food, if possible.
- The person should avoid unprotected sexual intercourse (until they are no longer infectious).
- Advise the infected person that they must not attend work, school, or nursery until 7 days after the onset of jaundice (or 7 days after symptom onset if there is no history of jaundice).
- Advise that breastfeeding can continue, as long as the woman uses the hygiene precautions above.
- Contact tracing will be done via the public health authorities, who have a duty of confidentiality to the infected person.
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