Hepatitis A Outbreak : Kerela
There has been a big spread of Hepatitis A in Kerala’s Malappuram district, with about 8,000 cases and 12 deaths.
- The virus, which is known for being very contagious, usually affects kids younger than 15 years old, but it is now spreading to older people whose immune systems aren’t working as well.
- Hepatitis A is a liver infection caused by a highly contagious virus.
- Infected individuals can show symptoms such as jaundice, fever, and stomach pain.
- Symptoms typically appear between two to six weeks after contracting the virus.
- In 99% of cases, the infection goes away on its own and does not damage the liver permanently.
- Severe outcomes like liver failure or death are rare.
- Transmission of the Virus
- The main way the Hepatitis A virus gets from feces to mouth is through contaminated food or water.
- It can be found in the poop of an infected person before they even show any signs, and it can still be found after symptoms have gone away.
- Past cases, like those in Delhi and Kanpur, were caused by broken sewer lines and letting dirty water into the water supply.
- Symptoms:
- Some common signs are feeling sick, having a different color of pee, and having stomach pain.
- In the worst cases, it can cause tiredness, loss of awareness, and bleeding.
