Name Sci/162 Week 7 Foodborne Illness Date [pic]Hepatitis A ? What is the infectious agent (pathogen) that causes this infectious disease? For example, the name of the bacteria, virus, or parasite.[pic] There are several types of Hepatitis. Infectious hepatitis, which is commonly referred to as Hepatitis A, infects the liver via the virus of the same name. This is commonly spread through contamination from feces. The virus is transmitted among people through direct contact with an infected person and from improper hygiene. For example, if a kitchen worker uses the restroom and does not properly wash their hands and goes directly back to preparing food the virus can be passed on. Hepatitis is a Picornavirus which means the virus non-enveloped, single stranded enclosed in a protein shell. Although there are several genotypes, only 1 serotype exists. ? [pic]How is this infectious agent transmitted through food or water? Hepatitis A[pic] can be transmitted [pic]through[pic] water [pic]and[pic] food from preparing food anywhere, whether an individual is at a restaurant, home or a friend’s house. If an individual is prepping food and he or she is infected with the hepatitis A virus it can easily spread to the next individual. Food handlers that have hepatitis can contaminate the food and water or if the use the restroom and do not wash his or her hands well can also spread the disease. [pic]Usually this type of spread is limited to family members or their dinner guests.[pic] On the other hand, food handlers at a restaurant can infect thousands of people. [pic]In developing countries, or those with unstable water supplies, the public water supply can become contaminated. This can happen if drinking water comes into contact with hepatitis A-infected sewage[pic] (Sabo, 2012). [pic]Fruits, vegetables, shellfish, ice and water are the[pic] foods that are most likely contaminated with HAV. ? [pic]What is an example of a real life outbreak of this foodborne illness in the United States? In[pic] the United States foodborne is known as food poisoning. There are individuals that could have a higher risk for getting a bacterial infection because they could have a weak immune system or it could be because of their age. The individual in the United States that could be at greater risk for example would be the elderly, pregnant woman, and younger children. There are ways to avoid these individual from getting foodborne illnesses such as making sure food is all the way cooked and thoroughly processed which kills all the bacteria. During my research I can across some information that I honestly had no idea about until now which is that bacteria multiply rapidly between 40F and 140F, so in this case food must be kept out of this temperature range (Sabo, 2012). ? [pic]What are the clinical symptoms, duration of the disease, and treatment if any?[pic] The clinical symptoms [pic]have a[pic] time frame and [pic]show[pic] up usually between 2-6 weeks after an individual has been [pic]exposed to the hepatitis A virus[pic] (Sabo, 2012). The [pic]symptoms are usually mild[pic] however they can [pic]last for up to[pic] quite a few [pic]months,[pic] particularly [pic]in adults. Symptoms include: ? Dark urine ? Fatigue ? Itching ? Loss of appetite ? Low-grade fever ? Nausea and vomiting ? Pale or clay-[pic] colored [pic]stools ? Yellow skin (jaundice)[pic] Unfortunately at this time there is not identifiable treatment for hepatitis A virus. They say plenty of [pic]rest is recommended when the[pic] above [pic]symptoms are most[pic] relentless. Individuals whom have the serious hepatitis virus should keep away from [pic]alcohol and any substances that are[pic] lethal [pic]to the liver, including acetaminophen[pic] (Sabo, 2012). ? What steps can be taken to prevent further outbreaks? Include individual as well as environmental precautions and methods. To prevent further outbreaks of hepatitis A the steps would include, individual should [pic]always wash your hands thoroughly after using the restroom and when[pic] he or she comes [pic]in contact with an infected person's blood, stools, or other bodily fluid.[pic] Ones will also want to avoid any unclean water or food. Another important step an individual should take is to go see their physician and get vaccinated because that will also help protect them from hepatitis A. Once he or she receives the vaccine the protection starts 4 weeks after the first dose (Sabo, 2012). As for environmental precautions if the public or water supply is contaminated you will want to contact any local or state environmental health personal for assistance. In the mean time you would want to [pic]use only carbonated bottled water for brushing teeth and drinking.[pic][pic]If no water is available, boiling water is the best method for eliminating hepatitis A. Bringing the water to a full boil for at least[pic] one [pic]minute generally makes it safe to drink.[pic] Reference Sabo, E (2012) New York Times; Health Guide Hepatitis A. Retrieved from http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/hepatitis-a/overview.html
